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30 June 2021

Current COVID-19 Restrictions – do they affect you?

In response to COVID outbreaks in NSW, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia restrictions of varying degrees are currently in place in those states and territory.

Given how quickly things can change, FDCA strongly encourages our members to stay informed about the situation in their state / territory and any impact on their operations by consulting reputable sources of information such as the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) website at
www.dese.gov.au/covid-19/childcare/covid-19-restrictions-and-early-childhood-education-and-care-sector.

State and territory websites are also updating their information frequently as things change.

The Australian Government Department of Health has also created a COVID-19 restriction checker to find out about current restrictions in your state or territory. Education and care is one of the “activity” categories you can check on here.

National Engagement Program - Preliminary Dates Announced!

FDCA is excited to announce the reveal of our National Engagement Program dates for 2022!

This reveal comes off the back of the difficult decision to delay the 2020 National Engagement Program due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

Available for all FDCA members, the National Engagement Program is an opportunity for family day care educators and service staff to receive professional development, network with other family day care professionals and take part in important conversations on the sector.

DATES FOR 2022

Sydney - 12 March 2022
Launceston -  9 April 2022
Adelaide -  16 April 2022
Brisbane -  14 May 2022
Canberra 4 June 2021

The 2022 National Engagement Program will include:

  • Professional development sessions
  • Networking lunch
  • Important sector updates
  • Presentations from sector experts

The National Engagement Program is part of FDCA’s commitment to supporting, promoting and representing the family day care sector and is an important investment in driving continuous improvement and development for our members.

Booking details for your spot at one of our National Engagement Program events will be provided closer to the event date. We look forward to seeing you there!

FDCA 2021 National Conference: Early bird discount extended

In light of the circumstances across the country at the moment due to COVID-19, FDCA understands that committing to the National Conference may be difficult.

We want our members to focus on themselves, their families and their communities at this time, which is why we’ve made the decision to extend our early bird pricing offer.

This subsidised price of $599 will now be available until the end of July. You can access this discount by clicking here.

From all of us here at FDCA, stay safe and look after each other.

LAST CHANCE: Digital systems in the family day care sector

FDCA is currently undergoing a review of the digital systems available within the family day care sector, including those that FDCA currently provides to our members. Your feedback and insights are a vital part of this review process, to ensure that we continue to give you the best member experience possible.

To do this we need your feedback and insights so that we can ensure you get the best out of your membership.

To access our short, digital systems survey please click on the buttons below. The survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Survey for educators

Survey for services (coordination unit staff only)  

Use your experience in family day care to inform future professional development resources

Everymind, a leading institute dedicated to the prevention and awareness of mental ill-health, is looking for educators and coordinators to help guide the implementation of a program that aims to increase the confidence and capacity of family day care educators to support children’s mental health and wellbeing.

The experiences and perspectives of those working in family day care will help ensure the program’s successful integration into coordination units across Australia. If you’re keen to contribute, see the information below supplied by Everymind, as to how you can get involved:  

“We welcome expressions of interest from educators and coordinators currently working in family day care, who can commit to attending up to four online meetings and provide additional email and phone feedback between now and July 2022. We expect this will be a 20-hour commitment spread over the 12 months. 

If you’re interested, please email Alyse at alyse.berrigan@health.nsw.gov.au to express your interest before TOMORROW 1 July 2021

Family Day Care Legal Services

FDCA’s Family Day Care Legal Services provides you with access to a team of trusted legal professionals to have your back when you need it most.

FDCA have teamed up with Clyde & Co, a multi-award winning law firm and specialists in the family day care field, to provide our members with legal advice and resources tailored to their business.

For as little as $3.15 a week, you can access expert assistance to tackle a range of issues, including debt recovery and support with regulatory matters, helping you save precious time and money.

Click here to begin your legal services subscription today!

One of our educators was able to begin the process of recovering over $4,000 of debt through her Family Day Care Legal Services subscription - giving her peace of mind and greater financial security.

FDCA’s Family Day Care Legal Services is just one of the ways that we are supporting you, our members, to handle the stress of legal issues and feel confident that your business is covered by a team of experienced legal professionals.            

Approved Learning Frameworks update project - Last chance to have your say!


A team of researchers from Macquarie University, the Queensland University of Technology & Edith Cowan University has been selected to lead the 2021 National Quality Framework Approved Learning Frameworks Update project, which looks to gather feedback about the currency and relevance of Australia’s two national approved learning frameworks: the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the My Time Our Place Framework(MTOP).

In this first Stage of this project, the team is seeking insights about current strengths of the EYLF and MTOP, as well as gaps and suggested areas for change and improvement

We encourage our members to share their views by completing the short online surveys open on the website before 2 July 2021.

Information gathered during Stage 1 of the project will inform the development of a public discussion paper that will put forward potential areas for updating, and underpin broader consultation and engagement at Stage 2.

To access the survey for educators and approved providers, click here.

To find out more about this project, visit the website.