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Yesterday was International Women’s Day for 2022, a reminder of FDCA’s commitment to a future that's diverse, equitable and inclusive and one that celebrates the amazing talents and achievements of our members.
We are immensely proud to support, promote and represent the family day care sector, which holds one of the largest national networks of women in small business.
Visit the official International Women’s Day website to find resources, ideas, information on the history surrounding the day and how to get involved in #breakingthebias.
As announced last week, the Australian Government declared a Local Area Emergency (LAE) in some areas due to the extensive flooding disaster. Originally for the period 23 February to 4 March 2022, this has now been extended to 9 March following severe and ongoing rainfall and flooding in New South Wales and Queensland.
The LAE includes all education and care service services in the following Local Government Areas (LGAs):
NSW
Tweed Shire Council, Byron Shire Council, Ballina Shire Council, Kyogle Council, Richmond Valley Council, Lismore City Council, Clarence Valley Council, Coffs Harbour City Council, Bellingen Shire Council and Nambucca Valley Council.
QLD
Brisbane City Council, Ipswich City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Somerset Regional Council, Gold Coast City Council, Logan City Council, Redland City Council, Scenic Rim Regional Council, Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Noosa Shire Council, Gympie Regional Council, Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, North Burnett Regional Council, Toowoomba Regional Council, Southern Downs Regional Council, Fraser Coast Regional Council and South Burnett Regional Council.
Western Sydney
Please note that the Australian Government has also now declared a new LAE in parts of Western Sydney. The LAE applies from 2 March to 9 March 2022 for all services in the following Local Government Areas (LGA):
Central Coast Council, Hawkesbury City Council, The Hills Shire Council, Penrith City Council, Blacktown City Council, Fairfield City Council, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool City Council, Camden Council, Sutherland Shire Council.
Governments have a number of financial assistance programs available for individuals and approved services affected by the recent flooding. Please click here for a summary of the support programs currently available.
General information and support relating to natural disasters can also be found through the following links:
National
https://www.dese.gov.au/child-care-package/ccp-resources-providers/help-emergency
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/active-natural-disaster-events?context=60042
NSW
https://www.nsw.gov.au/resilience-nsw
Qld
https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/protecting-business/disaster-resilience/assistance
Please note Qld members: Disaster recovery funding for the recent SE Qld rainfall and flooding event is now available at https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/money-finance/eligibility-apply/seq-flooding-february-2022
FDCA understands that this is an exceptionally difficult time for so many educators and services affected by the floods. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for assistance on 1800 658 699 or at enquiries@fdca.com.au
In 2021, PhD student Somayeh Ba Akhlagh published her doctoral thesis on Early childhood national educational frameworks and teachers’ beliefs about creativity: A comparative study of Australia and Iran and has since summed up some of the key findings from her research on Early Childhood Australia’s (ECA) ‘The Spoke’ blog.
“Learning and development happens rapidly during early childhood, as the brain has higher plasticity,” writes Somayeh. “So, the critical years from birth to the age of eight are ideal for introducing the concepts of cultural diversity. However, there is not enough focus on this in Australian settings.”
Somayeh provides a number of recommendations to improve cultural competency in the early years, including:
- Promoting diversity
- Greater professional development opportunities for educators
- Careful preparation of the learning environment
- Family involvement and the sharing of lived experiences
We encourage you to read the full article here
Inspired by our members and their families, the E-Book narrates a child’s first day of family day care.
The E-Book is designed to support the transition of children into care and showcase the natural approach to play and discovery that family day care nurtures.
FDCA members will be able to access, create and download as many versions of the E-Book as they would like, free of charge from any desktop device.
Members will also be able to customise the names of the E-Book’s main characters, including the main child, the parent, the educator and the name of the family day care, to make the story personal to your children.
This level of customisation means that you can create a new E-Book for each child in your care, or create an E-Book for new children arriving in your care to share with their family!
Alongside the ability to choose the character names, the use of well-known Australian native animals in the illustrations will allow a wide range of readers to “step into the shoes” of their character and follow along with the adventure!
How to use the E-Book
“My Family” Day Care is available to access through your FDCA Member Zone, under the subheading E-Book.
To customise and download your very own copy of “My Family” Day Care, refer to our “How to” video here.
As a member of the National Co-design Stakeholder Reference Group, the peak consultative body appointed by ACECQA for the development of the National Workforce Strategy, FDCA is proud to have contributed to the official National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy (2022-2031) - ‘Shaping our Future’, which was launched in late 2021.
The National Workforce Strategy was developed to support the recruitment, retention, sustainability and quality of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce, acknowledging the current workforce shortages facing the ECEC sector.
The National Strategy provides a living roadmap for ongoing collaboration and partnership between governments, service providers, education and training providers, peak associations, regulatory bodies, educators and teachers, and their representative bodies.
Our participation in the National Co-design Stakeholder Reference Group led the charge for recognition and consideration of the family day care sector within the National Workforce Strategy, and we will continue to advocate for adequate representation and consideration of the needs of our members. FDCA is now engaging with ACECQA regarding the development of the Implementation and Evaluation Plan to ensure family day care is well-represented in the action plan moving forward.
To read the National Workforce Strategy or find out more about the history of its development, visit ACECQA’s website here.
Available exclusively to FDCA Members, the FDCA Member Zone is your hub for family day care tools, resources and content, designed to assist in the day to day running of your business and support your long term career goals.
What’s inside the FDCA Member Zone?
Through your FDCA Member Zone, you’ll have access to:
What if I haven't activated my FDCA Member Zone?
To activate your FDCA Member Zone, 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 (this is the same email address that Family Day Care Matters is sent to)
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
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