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FDCA has recently been made aware of a scam email sent to one of our members. In this email the FDCA member was asked for a payment and given fraudulent bank details.
Please take a moment to carefully review any communication claiming to be from FDCA, particularly those requesting payment.
How to verify legitimate FDCA communication:
Tips to keep your accounts secure:
We want to reassure you that FDCA systems have not been breached. This appears to be an isolated incident originating from the member’s side. However, it serves as an important reminder to remain vigilant when receiving any correspondence related to payments or renewals.
If you are ever unsure, please contact the FDCA team directly - we’re here to help.
Registrations are currently open for National Family Day Care Week!
This year National Family Day Care Week will be celebrated from 4-10 May, and we’re inviting all FDCA members to join in the festivities by hosting their own celebratory picnic.
As a special bonus, the first 200 FDCA members who register their National Family Day Care Week Picnic before 29 March will receive a FREE National Family Day Care Week Picnic Pack.
Your FREE National Family Day Care Week Picnic Pack will include:
To register your National Family Day Care Week Picnic, click here, making sure to include your FDCA membership number in the registration form.
Now is an important time for the sector to unite and celebrate the unique strengths of family day care and we encourage all members to do this through events such as National Family Day Care Week.
To find out more about National Family Day Care Week, click here.
ACECQA has recently released two new resources to support inclusive practice in early childhood education and care.
Developed as part of the Inclusive Capability Project and supported by the Department of Education, these resources contribute to the development of an Inclusive Practice Framework designed to strengthen the capability of services to embed inclusive practices and better support children and families who may experience barriers to access and participation.
The Inclusive Language Guide supports educators and services to better understand and use inclusive language in their everyday practice. It includes information on:
The Inclusion Induction Module is a 25-minute online module which introduces key concepts of inclusion in an education and care settings including:
These resources can support educators and services to reflect on their practice and strengthen inclusive approaches within their settings.
For more information on the Inclusive Practice Framework and available resources, visit the ACECQA website.
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) have recently released updated Action Plans for Anaphylaxis.
The plans, which are designed to help guide the emergency response for allergic reactions, can be found on the ASCIA website.
The updated plans include:
Services and educators are encouraged to review the updated plans and work with families to update their plans where necessary.
For more information on the updates, including what’s changed from previous versions, visit the Information Updates page on the ASCIA website.
Harmony Week brings together Australians from all different backgrounds and is the celebration that recognises our diversity. It is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.
During Harmony Week you are encourage to wear orange to show support of cultural diversity. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.
To find out more, please visit the official Harmony Week website.
Designed to increase children's vegetable intake through exposure to vegetables in a fun way, Veggie Month hopes to engage children, educators, and parents in small changes that can make a big difference to child nutrition.
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that children eat between 2 ½ to 5 ½ servings of vegetables every day, depending on their age, to support healthy growth and development. However, many children currently do not meet these recommendations.
Veggie Month is an initiative of Munch & Move from NSW Health, but anyone can take part with challenges running each week. Challenges include asking children to help prepare vegetables, choosing one vegetable for a snack, or to ‘eat the rainbow’ by trying vegetables of different colours.
To follow the weekly challenges and for more information, click here.
For additional resources for children on healthy eating and staying active, including resources suitable for family day care settings, visit the Munch & Move website.
Policies and procedures are more than just a document - they form the legal foundation for consistent, safe and high-quality practice.
When implemented well, they underpin service delivery, provide certainty to families and support staff and educators in understanding their roles and responsibilities by clearly establishing professional standards and expectations.
One of the most common breaches in family day care settings relates to Regulation 170: Policies and procedures to be followed. Under this regulation, the approved provider must take reasonable steps to ensure that the nominated supervisor, staff members and educators are aware of, understand and follow the required policies and procedures outlined in Regulations 168 and 169.
Key Points to Remember:
Additional Resources
The Department of Education has declared a Child Care Subsidy (CCS) period of emergency declared in the following states: South Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria.
If you recently closed your service due to a period of emergency, the approved provider should contact the Australian Government Department of Education through the Provider Entry Point (PEP) or third-party software and also contact your state or territory regulatory authority.
The following support is available in affected regions during the CCS period of emergency:
Note: a gap fee waiver is a type of provider discount. Approved providers must report the type and amount of prescribed discounts in session reports if they have been applied for the session.
Click here for more information about support during a CCS period of emergency.
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