27 May 2020

Join the call for a transition back to a new look CCS on 29 June 2020

After sending a submission to the Hon Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Education, to advocate for a return to the Child Care Subsidy System (CCSS) on 29 June 2020, we are also inviting FDCA members you to share your support.

If you support the 29 June 2020 transition and you would like to highlight the importance of family day care, the transition and the proposed amendments to your local MP, please consider the following actions:

1. Click here to find your electorate and your local MP.
2. Click on your local MP's name to create an email.
3. Click here and copy the template text inside the box into your new email to your local MP.
4. Fill in the gaps highlighted in yellow to summarise your own story about the impact of the ECEC Relief Package and why the transition back to CCS is important to you.
5. Send the email!
6. It would also be helpful to repeat the above steps for all your state or territory Senators which are also available on the FDCA webpage.

The call to the Australian Government is based on the overwhelming support from FDCA members through last week's consultation, which indicated that of the 2,220 educator and service respondents, 83% are in favour of a return to the CCSS on 29 June 2020.

PLEASE NOTE: It is likely that decisions around the transitional timeframe and model will be made in the very near future. If you'd like to share your support, please do so ASAP.

To read FDCA's submission in full, click here.

Be You Virtual Conference: 'Responding Together – Managing Wellbeing in Times of Change and Uncertainty

On Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 June 2020, Be You is holding a free, online conference on 'Responding Together – Managing Wellbeing in Times of Change and Uncertainty'. This virtual conference is an opportunity for educators and services to learn practical strategies for promoting wellbeing in early learning communities.

To ensure you can find information that’s relevant to your context, the two-day virtual conference will have a number of sessions focussed on specific learning stages:

• Early learning
• Primary school
• Secondary school

You can choose to attend both days, one day or simply join the sessions most relevant to your work.

To view the virtual conference program and register, please click here.

New FDCA Member Zone is now live

Earlier this month we launched the new FDCA Member Zone. Exclusively available to FDCA Members, the FDCA Member Zone is your new home for a range of members-only tools, resources and content.

The launch of the FDCA Member Zone is part of our continued commitment to providing members with access to high quality resources and tools that support members in the delivery of high quality family day care.

The new FDCA Member Zone houses a range of members-only resources, tools and information that can assist both in the day-to-day running of your family day care business and also your family day care practice. These include FDCA’s Professional Learning Portal, our new and improved Family Day Care Locator, the Market My Business Hub, your Insurance Documentation, a wide range of resources and factsheets and the latest issues of JiGSAW Magazine and Family Day Care Matters.

All you need to do to access your FDCA Member Zone is follow these five simple steps:

1. Click here to activate your free account (for the best experience, use the latest Chrome browser)
2. Enter your registered email address
3. An email will then be sent to your email address, click on the 'create password' button
4. Create and confirm your password
5. Click here to log in and enter your FDCA Member Zone

You can also access your FDCA Member Zone by clicking 'Member Login' on the FDCA website.

FDCA COVID-19 information hub

To help members stay up to date with the latest information on the COVID-19 crisis we have developed a COVID-19 information hub with information specific to family day care educators and services.

The hub contains information, support links and resources available to family day care educators and services during the COVID-19 crisis.

The hub includes:

• frequently asked questions, including general FAQ’s and FAQ’s specific to educators, services and relating to the National Law;
• links to all FDCA bulletins sent to members regarding COVID-19, and;
• additional links and resources relating to COVID-19.

We will continue to update these pages as new information comes to hand. Please be aware that the situation continues to evolve rapidly.

To view the FDCA COVID-19 information hub, click here.