The Inclusion Support Program aims to build the capacity and capability of educators to address participation barriers for all children through implementing quality inclusive practices. Eligible ServicesWe provide free tailored inclusion support to eligible early childhood education and care services including:
Children with Additional NeedsWhile there is no national definition of ‘additional needs’, there are children who may need or require specific considerations or adaptations to participate fully in ECEC services (although not all children with additional needs will require support). The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) supports educators to address access and participation barriers and to support the inclusion of children with additional needs, with their typically developing peers. The Inclusion Support Program recognises that additional needs may arise for children who:
and for children from:
who may also require special considerations, such as cultural support, to ensure that they are able to participate fully in early childhood education and care, out of school hours care and family day care services and experience positive outcomes. Extract from: Department of Education, Skills and Employment, Inclusion Support Program Guidelines, Version 2.3, July 2021. Access Our Brochure For Families Here All children have the right to be included in children’s services. We know from research that all children benefit from belonging to, and participating in, quality inclusive child care. An inclusive service provides a unique opportunity for children to play, develop and learn together with children of their own age. These relationships are the foundations for learning and provide a powerful way of belonging to a group and developing a sense of self. When children are included you will see them:
Learn More About Inclusion Educators are directly supported by our team of Inclusion Professionals, who are based at Inclusion Hubs across NSW and the ACT. Inclusion Professionals use a strengths-based approach, including coaching and practical inclusion advice when supporting each service. Support is provided through a combination of phone appointments, online appointments and service visits. Inclusion Professionals (IPs) support educators to develop a Strategic Inclusion Plan that takes into consideration the whole room your child is part of. The plan is not focused on your child alone, or any one child specifically. Instead, the plan identifies what is needed to support educators to include all children.
Facilitating access to funding support for services is not the primary role of an Inclusion Professional. A diagnosis of a disability alone does not mean that funding for an additional educator is the best type of support for educators and services. Additional Support Options
Through the development of a Strategic Inclusion Plan, educators might identify inclusion barriers that cannot be resolved through accessing support from the Inclusion Agency or Specialist Equipment Library (SEL) alone. In these circumstances, the Inclusion Support Program (ISP) can provide further support to services through the Inclusion Development Fund Manager (IDFM). Inclusion Development Fund Support Options
The four streams of IDF funding are:
Learn More About IDF Support Options The Starting Blocks website aims to be a first step into early childhood and care. This website from the Australian Government provides families with information about children's education and care services in their local area, including vacancies, fees, quality ratings and inclusions, as well as other resources, tips and topics especially for families Visit the Starting Blocks website The NSW/ACT Inclusion Agency includes the Specialist Equipment Library (SEL). The SEL loans a range of specialist equipment, free of charge, to early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to enable children to access and participate in all aspects of an ECEC program. What Inclusion Professionals do:
What Inclusion Professionals don’t do:
A common goal between educators and families is quality outcomes for children. Collaborative partnerships between early childhood educators and families are fundamental to achieving this. In collaborative partnerships, families and educators:
(ACECQA, National Quality Standard Information sheet - Quality area 6 - Building partnerships with families. October 2016) There are many ways you can you assist your early childhood education and care service to support the inclusion of your child. Participating in ongoing conversations with educators about your child helps to create collaborative partnerships. Information that is helpful to share with educators includes but is not limited to:
If provided to you by your child’s service, a signed NSW/ACT Inclusion Agency Permission to Share Personal Information form gives permission for educators to talk with an Inclusion Professional about their needs to include your child. Working Together Agreement Resource The NSW/ACT Inclusion Agency recognises each service’s ongoing commitment to inclusion by providing them with an “Our service values inclusion” acknowledgement when they have an active Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP). A Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) is a self-guided inclusion assessment and planning tool for services, which includes strategies for improving and embedding inclusive practice, in line with the National Quality Standard. When you see one of the acknowledgements, as shown above, displayed at the service your child attends, it is an indication that the educators are working with us and have engaged in planning for inclusion. Each year the service maintains an active SIP, their Inclusion Professional will provide them with a star which shows that they continue to be a service that values inclusion. There are two consent forms that families may be asked to complete. Each of them has a different purpose. 1. NSW/ACT Inclusion Agency (IA) Consent – Permission to Share Personal Information This form gives permission for educators to discuss and share information about your child with an Inclusion Professional (IP). This form is available in 10 community languages. Access A Copy Of This Form 2. Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) Consent – Permission to share personal information for the purposes of the Inclusion Support Program This form gives permission for information about a child to be linked to a service’s application to access Inclusion Development Funding on the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment Inclusion Support Portal. Access A Copy Of This Form |