Child Care News for Providers - June 2008

Hello,

After some great feedback following the launch of our first issue last month I am proud to welcome you to the second edition of CareforKids.com.au Child Care News, dedicated to supporting and informing child care professionals.

As I am sure you'll be aware, in this year's Federal Budget the Government has announced some fairly wide reaching changes to child care funding, with some of the changes due to take effect from as early as next month.

After carefully researching the changes we have summarised the main points for you so be sure to read our article on this year's Budget and what to expect.

Be sure to include your fee information to help parents make the best possible decision about child care for their family. It's a free service and you could win a 12 month Premium Listing subscription on CareforKids.com.au

With an increased demand for child care more services are opening and there is greater competition for business. Make sure your centre stands out from the others and is well recognised in your community by reading our article on Marketing and Promoting Child Care Services.

It contains some easy to implement and cost effective tips on the best ways to raise awareness about your service offering.

Make sure you are up-to-date with current Government policy by reading our helpful article on how to successfully manage a spot check by the National Child Care Accreditation Council.

Checks are performed randomly at anytime and without notice so it is important to be confident that your practices are in line with current standards.

In this month's Child Care People we meet the Director of the Sydney Cove Children's Centre Jocelyn Whisker. Jocelyn shares her views on the importance of developing and maintaining a centre philosophy to help parents choose the best service for their children.

This month's Children and Child Care section includes an important article on Encouraging supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in your centre.

In the multicultural society that is modern Australia this is required reading and will hopefully provide you with some inspiration about how to promote increased awareness and appreciation of the value of difference among the staff and children at your centre.

Remember, the purpose of this newsletter is to support and inform you in your working life, so please feel free to contact us with any ideas or suggestions you may have for future issues.

Happy Reading!

Roxanne Elliott
Founder
CareforKids.com.au®


In this issue... Child Care Fees - Did you know? Child Care Funding and the Federal Budget 2008-09 Marketing and Promoting Child Care Services NCAC - Spot Checks Interview with Sydney Cove Children's Centre Director Jocelyn Whisker Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in your service Best Practice Business Child Care Fees - Did you know? Child care fees have been at the top of the news agenda in the last month with the Government’s announcement of a new website which will list child care fees. CareforKids.com.au has offered child care providers the ability to provide fee information since it’s inception in 2003. It’s a free service and helps parents make an informed decision about their child care options. Parents constantly tell us that cost is an important factor and results from the 2008 Australian Child Care Survey examining the health of our child care system back this up. They also tell us that this is just part of the equation when they are looking for and selecting child care. This is why the CareforKids.com.au website provides parents with so much more than fee information. By ensuring parents have access to a comprehensive range of information covering every aspect of child care we help them make the best possible decision about child care for their family. Update your published fees now If you would like your fee information included or updated on the CareforKids.com.au website simply log on, edit your profile and update your fee details. You can also email the details through to us at support@careforkids.com.au and we’ll update the information for you. Other profile information can also be updated in this fashion, so while you are online take the time to edit any other details. Remember, the information you provide will ensure parents looking for child care in your area receive a complete picture about the unique services and facilities your service offers. Update your fee information today and you'll automatically go into the draw to win* 1 of 5 Premium Listings for 12 months valued at $200 +GST. Click here to log in and update your fee information... *Terms & Conditions Child Care Funding and the Federal Budget 2008-09 This year’s Federal Budget has seen the introduction of a number of changes to the way child care is funded and provided in Australia, some of which take effect from July 2008. Make sure you're completely up-to-date! Read our summary... Marketing and Promoting Child Care Services Engaging in targeted profile raising activities to promote your child care service will ensure you keep vacancy levels to a minimum and will help you build support and recognition in your geographical area of operation. Parents across Australia have great awareness about child care and high expectations about the standards of service they will receive. In this increasingly competitive environment, where parents will vote with their feet, it is important to ensure your centre stands out. Read the full story... NCAC Spot Checks A message from the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) The following information can assist services to prepare for a Child Care Quality Assurance (CCQA) Spot Check A Spot Check is a short, unannounced visit to any Accredited child care service to determine whether it is maintaining the standard of practice required for Accreditation. Read the full story... Child Care People Interview with Sydney Cove Children's Centre Director Jocelyn Whisker The child care sector is characterised by people dedicated to creating exciting, nurturing and innovative learning environments for Australia’s youngest learners. Every month this section of our newsletter will profile some of Australia’s most dynamic child care professionals. If you or someone you know deserves to be featured in this section drop us a line to editor@careforkids.com.au Director of Sydney Cove Children's Centre, Jocelyn Whisker believes we have an opportunity in this time of growth for our industry to ensure that Childcare stays personal, that relationships with the children and their families are not compromised by the needs of big business. We as Early Childhood Teachers can achieve this by choosing employers that will help us achieve high standards of care for young children. Read the interview... Children & Child Care Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in your service In a proudly multicultural society such as our own it is very important that child care providers have the resources, skills and knowledge necessary to help children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including indigenous backgrounds, settle into a care environment. Ensuring your centre is well equipped to handle applications from families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and designing orientation programs designed to help these children ease into their new care arrangement will help you build a strong relationship with the children and their families. Read the full story...	June 2008 Hello, After some great feedback following the launch of our first issue last month I am proud to welcome you to the second edition of CareforKids.com.au Child Care News, dedicated to supporting and informing child care professionals. As I am sure you'll be aware, in this year's Federal Budget the Government has announced some fairly wide reaching changes to child care funding, with some of the changes due to take effect from as early as next month. After carefully researching the changes we have summarised the main points for you so be sure to read our article on this year's Budget and what to expect. Be sure to include your fee information to help parents make the best possible decision about child care for their family. It's a free service and you could win a 12 month Premium Listing subscription on CareforKids.com.au With an increased demand for child care more services are opening and there is greater competition for business. Make sure your centre stands out from the others and is well recognised in your community by reading our article on Marketing and Promoting Child Care Services. It contains some easy to implement and cost effective tips on the best ways to raise awareness about your service offering. Make sure you are up-to-date with current Government policy by reading our helpful article on how to successfully manage a spot check by the National Child Care Accreditation Council. Checks are performed randomly at anytime and without notice so it is important to be confident that your practices are in line with current standards. In this month's Child Care People we meet the Director of the Sydney Cove Children's Centre Jocelyn Whisker. Jocelyn shares her views on the importance of developing and maintaining a centre philosophy to help parents choose the best service for their children. This month's Children and Child Care section includes an important article on Encouraging supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in your centre. In the multicultural society that is modern Australia this is required reading and will hopefully provide you with some inspiration about how to promote increased awareness and appreciation of the value of difference among the staff and children at your centre. Remember, the purpose of this newsletter is to support and inform you in your working life, so please feel free to contact us with any ideas or suggestions you may have for future issues. Happy Reading! Roxanne Elliott Founder CareforKids.com.au® Child Care News Bulletins Keep up-to-date with the latest child care news articles from here and around the world. Updated daily! Read the latest news... Feedback Got questions, comments or ideas for us? Please feel free to contact us with any ideas or suggestions you may have for future issues. Email our editor ChildcareJobs.com.au Coming soon... a new job board dedicated to the child care industry. Find out more...

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