Close
FDCA has recently received a number of enquiries from members in regards to the coronavirus.
FDCA represents the sector as a delegate on the Commonwealth Government’s Early Childhood Education and Care Reference Group (ECECRG). This group is currently meeting weekly with the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, to inform the Australian Government's response to the coronavirus. To date, government correspondence has focussed on strategies to control and contain the spread of the virus and general information on management practices; these matters remain important and FDCA will continue to share updates as they become available.
We recommend that all FDCA members keep an eye out for specific bulletins and updates via Family Day Care Matters.
We have also fielded a number of enquiries regarding the potential financial impact on educators and services in the event that their businesses are forced to close; this matter dominated discussions when the ECECRG met last Friday 6 March. It has been acknowledged that there are a number of mechanisms within the capacity of relevant legislation to provide isolated, but requisite supports based on the current scale and impact of the virus. We anticipate clarification and further details regarding these supports in a formal communication from the Department in coming days and we will share this communication as soon as it becomes available.
Significant consideration is also being undertaken between the Australian Government, and state and territory governments, to explore additional support mechanisms should the impact of the virus become more widespread. We will continue to inform these discussions and to advocate for adequate protections. It should be noted that the government is taking the potential impact on providers very seriously.
Updated Department of Health factsheets can be found by following the link on the Department of Education, Skills and Employment website. The Department will continue to advise each time these factsheets are updated.
Please regularly check the Department of Health’s website to help ensure that you are using the latest version of these factsheets.
Anyone with enquiries regarding the coronavirus should contact the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080.
This year National Family Day Care Week will take place from 4 - 10 May and we're encouraging all family day care educators and services to get involved by hosting National Family Day Care Week Picnics. This year we're giving members the chance to receive a free National Family Day Care Week Picnic Pack, simply by hosting a picnic!
Whether you're hosting a picnic at a local park or in your backyard, we want to know about it so we can share it with local media outlets and raise the profile of family day care in your community and across Australia.
To get your free National Family Day Care Picnic Pack all you need to do is be one of the first 300 FDCA members to register your National Family Day Care Picnic by 15 March 2020.
Your National Family Day Care Picnic Pack will include:
To register your picnic, click here.
Following overwhelmingly positive feedback to the 2019 National Engagement Program (NEP) forums, FDCA is excited to be bringing the NEP back to Perth.
We're continuing to invest in and support our members!
In your role as a family day care professional, we recognise that it is vital that you are able to access ongoing professional development and networking opportunities, while also having the chance to critically reflect on your practice as you strive to deliver high quality outcomes for children.
That's why in our role as your national peak body, we will proudly continue to invest in the ongoing professional development of our members. This means attendance at our NEP forums will again be FREE (valued at over $100) for our members.
Limited tickets remaining
The upcoming Perth forum has already received a great response. With limited tickets available, be sure to register now so that you don't miss out!
To find out more about the 2020 NEP forums, visit www.fdca.com.au/nep
The Australian Government is reminding services that support is available through the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) for services affected by natural disasters such as drought, bushfire, flood or other unforeseen circumstances that risk closure and consequential market failure for the community.
This $14 million program comprises $5 million for child care services affected by bushfire, $5 million for services in drought affected areas and another $4 million for services impacted by other natural disasters or other unforeseen circumstances.
Services may seek funds for a range of activities, for example:
For more information and to apply, visit the CCCF Special Circumstances Grant Opportunity webpage.
The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment’s emergency and natural disaster assistance webpage continues to be updated with information and resources as they become available.
Mental health support resources, including Beyond Blue’s Be You initiative and Emerging Minds’ Educators resource pack: Supporting children after bushfires, were recently added to the page.
FDCA is excited to announce that payment plans for full registration early-bird tickets to the FDCA 2021 National Conference are now available, exclusively to FDCA members!
Why use a payment plan to purchase my ticket?
For many members the option of paying for their conference ticket by the month makes it much easier to purchase, as they don't have to worry about paying for the full amount up front. Payment plans were an extremely popular option for members who attended the FDCA 2018 National Conference and we're pleased to be able to support members by providing these additional options for purchasing tickets.
What plans are available?
To provide members with more flexibility when purchasing tickets, two types of payment plans are available to members: a 12-month and a 6-month plan. FDCA members are able to access the 12-month payment plan up until the end of 31 August 2020, while access to the 6-month payment plan will conclude on 28 February 2021.
How can I access a payment plan?
To purchase your FDCA 2021 Conference ticket via a payment plan, simply click here and choose the 12-month or 6-month option when selecting your ticket.
To find out more about the FDCA 2021 National Conference, visit www.fdca.com.au/conference.
Family Day Care Australia represents, supports and promotes the sector in delivering quality outcomes for children.
.svg)
© Family Day Care Australia. All Rights Reserved.
ABN: 93 094 436 021 – AFSL: 329 616
Website Built by Combinate™
