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Congratulations to all 18 of our SA and WA Regional Educator Winners, announced yesterday! Your nurturing, natural approach to quality early childhood education and care shines a light on the unique benefits of our sector for so many Australian families and children.
You can view the full list of SA and WA Regional Educator Winners by clicking here.
You can also visit our Facebook page to pass on your congratulations and view the ongoing announcements and coverage of our winners.
The SA and WA Regional Educator Winners will now go into the running to be named as the SA/WA National Educator Finalist.
2021 Excellence in Family Day Care Awards Calendar
FDCA will announce the final round of Regional Educator Winners from around Australia next week:
Now celebrating its tenth year, the Excellence in Family Day Care Awards is the only program of its kind celebrating the family day care sector across Australia. It’s our chance to showcase the stories and achievements of educators, coordinators and services and promote family day care as the natural choice in early childhood education and care for more Australian families.
FDCA commends all of our nominees in the 2021 Awards and extends our thanks to everyone who has participated to make this year our biggest yet!
We encourage our members to keep an eye out over the coming weeks for media stories on our Regional Educator Winners, which will be shared on our Facebook page and website.
Knowing that your vehicle is a vital part of your business, FDCA has negotiated a range of motor vehicle insurance policies to meet the day-to-day needs of our members.
Our insurance covers the operation of the motor vehicle for your family day care business, allowing for:
What should I ask before purchasing insurance for my vehicle?
Some of our members are rightfully concerned about how their existing motor vehicle insurance may be affected by the use of their vehicle to transport children in care. It’s important to remember that some insurers may not cover you if you use your car for both personal and business purposes.
We’ve put together a quick Q&A to outline some important questions you should ask before purchasing motor vehicle insurance, and how FDCA’s insurance stacks up.
“I now operate a Family Day Care business and am paid to care for children. Some of the activities such as school runs and excursions will involve taking the children in the car. Will you still cover my car under a private use motor vehicle policy?”
FDCA Answer: Yes!
“I may have a number of child safety seats and booster seats to cater for the range of children I have in care. Will you cover all the child seats on the policy?”
FDCA Answer: Yes, but they must be listed on the policy.
“If I have an accident and I am unable to use the car, will you cover the cost to hire a car?”
FDCA Answer: Yes, if you have selected this option.
To protect your vehicle with insurance that understands the unique needs of your family day care business, give us a call on 1800 658 699 or visit our website.
To ensure enrolments remain active during the extended lockdown, on Monday 13 September 2021, Services Australia will record a one-off $0 session of care for enrolled children at early education and care services in Greater Sydney.
This will reset the start of the 14-week period to begin from 13 September 2021, meaning that where children have not attended care since 7 June, their enrolments will not cease.
The session will show in the system as “COVID-19 system update” and has no impact on a family’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) payments.
You must not vary or withdraw the $0 session of care unless it conflicts with an actual attendance.
If you vary or withdraw the $0 session of care where a child did not attend, their enrolment will cease 14 weeks after their last attendance.
For children who are being unenrolled from care, further advice will be provided to services shortly.
FDCA continues to engage with the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) regarding last day absences and we are hopeful of a resolution soon.
For more information, visit the DESE website here.
The review of the two nationally Approved Learning Frameworks – Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Framework for Australia (EYLF) and My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia (MTOP) entered its second Stage of consultations on 24 August 2021, with the release of a Discussion Paper and Stage 2 surveys. The Discussion Paper identifies potential areas for updating in the approved learning frameworks (ALFs), informed by research and the feedback gathered in Stage 1. The Discussion Paper can be accessed here. An Executive Summary is also available.
Feedback is now being invited from service leaders, educators, families, communities and other interested stakeholders in response to the Discussion Paper. Stage 2 surveys are available on the ALFs Update project website, via the downloadable flyer with QR code or can be accessed directly via the following links:
A submission template is also available for organisations who prefer to make a written submission.
Children in early childhood education and care and outside school hours care settings are also invited to contribute their ideas in a Talking Circle or focus group led by an educator from their setting. The researchers are also seeking teachers' and educators' assistance in this data collection and information is provided on the website to assist this activity.
Opportunity to provide feedback through these means closes on 17 September 2021.
To receive regular updates on the project please visit the ALFs Update project website and register your interest.
If you have any questions, please email Jenny Kendrick (Project Manager) at alfsupdate@mq.edu.au
Family Day Care Australia (FDCA) is calling for nominations to fill vacancies arising upon the cessation of the tenure of two current Member Elected Directors at this year’s Annual General Meeting.
The FDCA Board of Directors Board is focused on the effective governance of the company, including strategic direction, finance, compliance and risk management. The Board comprises seven to eleven positions, made up of:
- A minimum of five and a maximum of six Directors elected by the national membership
- A minimum of two and a maximum of five skills-based Directors appointed by the Board
Please click here to view FDCA’s current Board of Directors.
If you are interested in considering a directorship with FDCA, please contact Scott Rollason, FDCA General Manager via scott.rollason@fdca.com.au for a copy of the Board Candidate Nomination Pack and instructions on submitting your nomination.
Nominations must be received by close of business (AEST) Friday 17 September 2021.
At FDCA we know how important it is to market your family day care business, but we also know it can be daunting, time consuming and expensive.
That’s why we’ve done some of the heavy lifting for you, with a suite of professionally designed marketing materials that can be customised to your business.
The resources available through the Market My Business Hub will allow you to promote your family day care business as a nurturing and high quality early childhood education and care option for families, and also as a career of choice for professionals wishing to work in the sector.
Through the Market My Business Hub members can access:
You can even request a copy of our family day care television commercials to share on your own digital networks.
To view a short video about the FDCA Market My Business Hub, click on one of the links below:
Click here to view our video for educators; or
Click here to view our video for services.
The Market My Business Hub is available exclusively to FDCA members.
To access the Market My Business Hub, you will need to activate your FDCA Member Zone.
Access and order material from the Market My Business Hub by following these three simple steps:
Once your order has been submitted it will be sent to FDCA and, once processed, your marketing resources will be emailed to you for use within ten business days.
Please note that brochures, flyers and posters are provided in soft copy only (PDF format).
To access your FDCA Member Zone, follow these five simple steps:
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