Early Edition Summer 2017

EarlyEdition SUMMER 2017

20 Ideas to Encourage Outdoor Rainy-Day Play A journey of reflection Innovation Leaders in the Early Childhood Industry Extension of workforce transitional regulations

ACA Qld 2018 National Conference

Together We Grow It takes a village

1 - 3 June 2018

The Star Gold Coast

REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 2018 www.childcareconference.com.au

EarlyEdition SUMMER 2017

Cover Photo: Rainy Day Fun

ACA Queensland

Contents

Location: 11/6 Vanessa Boulevard, Springwood Mailing: PO Box 137, Springwood QLD 4127 Telephone: (07) 3808 2366 Fax: (07) 3808 2466 Toll Free: 1300 365 325 (outside Brisbane) Web: www.qld.childcarealliance.org.au Email: qld@childcarealliance.org.au

ACA Queensland President’s Report

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ACA President’s Report

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20 ideas to encourage outdoor rainy-day play

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A journey of reflection

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A conversation with innovation leaders in the early childhood industry

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A Body Positive Dietitian’s Open Letter to Educators

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Super Max & Bryce and Zephyr Education

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Educator in Profile: Gabriela Luersen de Camargo

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Education Council extension of workforce transitional regulations

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Planning an excursion in early learning

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New ATO reporting rules

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Tips for managing a staff member who is routinely absent

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Do I Require a Food Licence & Documented / Audited Food Safety Program for my ECEC service?

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Get to know your committee Louise Thomas

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Associate Member Directory

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Disclaimer: Articles published in this magazine are published as a service to readers and should not be substituted for specific advice in relation to any issue.

While advertising in this magazine is encouraged, ACA Queensland accepts no responsibility for the contents of the advertisements. Advertisements are accepted in good faith and liability for advertising content, goods or services supplied is the responsibility of the advertiser.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Executive

Committee Members

ACA Queensland Office

President - Majella Fitzsimmons

Gwynn Bridge AM Rosa McDonald

General Manager - Brent Stokes

Vice President - Jae Fraser

Linda Davies

Louise Thomas

Office Manager - Jen Smyth

Treasurer - Doug Burns

Kerrie Lada

Brent Stokes

Office Admin Assistant - Letitia Murphy

Secretary - Debra North

Project Officer - Claudette Cabilan

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ACA Queensland President’s Report Welcome to this quarter’s Early Edition magazine.

These past few months have been extremely busy with so much happening.

ACA Qld recently conducted our AGM and I congratulate those committee members on their newly elected positions. Debra North returned to an executive role as Secretary and Doug Burns moved in to the role of Treasurer, with Linda Davies, Kerrie Lada, Louise Thomas returning as committee members. I am humbled by the opportunity and trust to be elected to the position of President. I would like to thank all committee members who volunteer their time to run this association taking time away from their own businesses and families.

Following our AGM, Brent Stokes took the opportunity to step down from his role as Vice President to focus on his role of General Manager and allow someone else the opportunity. Brent will remain as a committee member for the remainder of his elected tenure. We are very fortunate that Jae Fraser has put his hand up to take on this acting position until our next AGM and we thank Jae for this.

At the time of writing, we are actively engaged with all sides of government in the lead up to the Queensland State election. We are eager to work with whoever forms government. Our focus is on improving outcomes for Queensland children.

September saw members’ meetings across the state with Brisbane, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast and Townsville having face-to-face meetings. It was great to see so many members at these meetings and hear your concerns and questions with the upcoming implementation of the new Child Care Subsidy, effective from 2 July 2018.

ACA Qld, working with our national body ACA National, are working very closely with all sides of government to ensure your voices are being heard.

Members’ meetings are always a good opportunity to catch up with your committee; however, there are times that members are unable to attend,

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therefore ACA Qld trialled a virtual members’ meeting during September.

It was a definite success with some robust discussions. It is something that ACA Qld will aim to do more of in the future to ensure all our members, particularly those in rural and remote areas, can access new information and ask questions from these meetings.

ACA Qld is continuing our positive working relationship with both State and Federal governments with several of our committee members meeting with Sharon Schimming (Deputy DirectorGeneral) and Lisa McCoy (Executive Director, Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement, Early Childhood and Community Engagement, Department of Education and Training). We also met with Shane Williams (State Director) and Tara Pinsker (Assistant Director ECEC Queensland State Office Early Childhood State Network Australian Government Department of Education and Training).

We believe it is through these collaborative partnerships that ACA Qld have achieved: • Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) applications available for-profit services should the relevant criteria be met • Education Council extension of the workforce transition requirements (refer to page 20 for more information) ACA Qld continues to be actively engaged in many areas including consulting on the 2020 ECEC Workforce Group. ACA Qld welcomes new Shadow Federal Minister for Early Childhood Education and Development, Amanda Rishworth.

We look forward to continuing the same strong, robust working relationship we have always had with the Hon Kate Ellis MP. ACA has released a 10-year vision for early education and care for our

future Australians, “ECEC Directions for Australia”. Please see our submissions section of the ACA National website for a copy: www.childcarealliance.org.au .

The 2018 ACA Qld National Conference theme is Together We Grow – It takes a village. The conference subcommittee has worked extremely hard securing an amazing line up of fantastic presenters for our conference and we are pleased to announce we will have for the first time, an Approved Provider only lunch on the Friday of conference with an amazing guest panel. Visit our conference website, www.childcareconference.com.au to meet our speakers. Early bird registrations open in January 2018 so be sure to follow us on all our socials and open all our emails to keep updated.

As the year comes to a close I would like to reflect over the year that was. We have secured some great wins this year: advocacy and an ever-growing list of member benefits.

I would like to thank the committee and our office team for their tireless efforts this year and wish all members and supporter members a very Happy Christmas and joyful and safe New Year.

Majella Fitzsimmons ACA Qld President

ACA President’s Report As we plan for the transition to the new Child Care Subsidy in July 2018, Christmas is fast approaching – we hope you enjoy a restful break.

As this final quarter marches along, the festivities of Christmas and the New Year are fast approaching! Whilst we look forward to the end of year break, there is still much to work on between now and then.

ACA continues to engage with the Department of Education (DET) regarding the logistics of rolling out the new Child Care Subsidy regime, and the level of guidance and support that will be required throughout the transition period, to assist Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services, and the families of the children in these services.

As some of you may be aware, in October DET ran a small number of localised trial information sessions with the family audiences, to test their communications materials and get a sense of how much guidance parents will need. It is our understanding that the key learnings of these trial sessions will be fed into the government’s national roll out of the guidance materials.

Some weeks ago you would have received an email from DET about the recent release of a new range of information resources, including videos, presentations and factsheets, to help ECEC services familiarise themselves with the details of the new Child Care Subsidy package. These are available at www.bit. ly/DETResources.

These resources include information on the new Child Care IT system, along with a suite of online business support tools, designed to help service providers determine how the various elements of the new Child Care Subsidy regime will impact their financial results. We encourage you to use these tools and would welcome your feedback. You can access these tools at www.bit.ly/ DETBusinessSupport.

Be sure to follow up the action items in DET’s checklist of things you can do now to start the transition to the new system at www.bit.ly/DETToDoList.

Meanwhile our work in relation to the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) case and the four year review of the Children’s Services Award, and the Educational Services (Teachers’) Award continues.

In the ERO case, following the submission from United Voice (UV), we have produced our own submission to the Fair Work Commission in collaboration with our legal team, taking into account the history of the Children’s Services and Manufacturing Award to determine whether it is an appropriate comparator, as suggested by UV. The hearing is set to take place on 30th November.

It is worth noting that the Independent Education Union (IEU) are also running a case, but their submission has not yet been received. We will provide an update as soon as possible after this date to keep you informed.

The Modern Award review is currently under way, with the Family friendly provisions under review right. Jae Fraser from ACA Qld has been working with our legal team to provide a statement on behalf of ACA. This will be heard late in December. We will provide updates as these matters progress.

As part of our work engaging with government, ACA has developed a position paper which outlines our “ten year vision” for the ECEC sector. We believe that under a government with the right policy and offering adequate financial support, within ten years Australia could be a world leader in providing high quality, affordable and accessible ECEC to the entire Australian community. We will use this document as a platform for our ongoing relations with government and key stakeholders. You can read our recommendations at www. bit.ly/ACASubmissions.

primarily relating to staffing and qualifications in the children’s education and care sector before the end of the year. This decision is a reflection of the strong engagement between government and the ECEC sector. You can read more about the transitional arrangements at www.bit.ly/TransitionalProvisions.

On a final festive note, ACA is supporting Project Rudolph again this year - a Christmas appeal which aims to deliver Christmas meal boxes to struggling Australian families. We encourage all our members to get involved by organising some form of fund raising activity, whether it be as simple as putting out a donation tin at reception or organising a bake sale. It’s a great teaching opportunity to help young children develop empathy and a desire to help those less fortunate. You can find out how easy it is to get involved by visiting our website at www.childcarealliance. org.au. We would greatly appreciate your support to help all families enjoy a wonderful Christmas.

On behalf of everyone at the ACA, I’d like to wish all our members along with their teams, families and children a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful, joyful New Year!

Paul Mondo National President Australian Childcare Alliance

In case you missed it, the ACA has welcomed the Education Council’s decision to extend several transitional provisions in the Education and Care Service National Regulations to 2020,

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20 ideas to encourage outdoor rainy-day play Jodie Clarke > The Empowered Educator

Outdoor rainy-day play provides many learning opportunities for children. Just because it’s raining, or a little cold outdoors, doesn’t mean educators and parents need to keep children inside.

A rainy day reaches out to our senses in different ways.

The air is crisper, dirt turns to messy mud, the sandpit fills with wet sand perfect for building and cooking with, droplets of water collect on leaves and flowers, we hear rain dripping and drumming on different surfaces, climbing becomes more challenging as surfaces become wet and slippery introducing elements of risky play and the living things outdoors behave in different ways or come out of hiding because of the rain.

If we first plan and then put a little effort into creating an outdoor area that invites playful learning through a broad range of experiences, materials and sensory spaces,

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the outdoor environment will reward that hard work by ensuring children, educators and families can enjoy outdoor play in many varying types of weather at different times of the year.

This includes rainy-day play and learning experiences.

But what about the excuses we often hear from adults as a reason NOT to go outdoors when it is raining? I have you covered! Try a few of the strategies from the list to help get other educators, parents and carers to see how the benefits of outdoor rainy-day play far outweigh the usual excuses, and why it is beneficial to learning and development to support your outdoor play philosophy.

10 Strategies to Help Encourage Outdoor Rainy-Day Play 1. Plan ahead! First decide if this is something you want to commit to, then think about what steps you need to take to make it easier to embed and be recognised as a common practice rather than unusual.

2. Take steps to clearly outline and communicate your outdoor play policy and guidelines and ensure all early childhood educators understand what is expected and why.

3. Keep spare sets of gumboots and raincoats or jackets at home or in your early learning service so you don’t need to rely on parents to provide them.

4. If you live in an area where it gets quite cold in wet weather, invest in a few of the many waterproof outdoor play or puddle suits available for children now.

5. Ask parents and carers to pack 2 spare sets of clothes in the bag each day so they always have dry clothes to change into after rainy play sessions.

6. Communicate and collaborate with families and carers. For my Family Day Care service, I always included a section in my parent handbook and an additional letter upon enrolment that explained to parents my philosophy on allowing children to experience outdoor play in all kinds of weather, my preference for them to be allowed to get messy or muddy and the need for them to be wearing ‘play clothes’ that were ok to get dirty.

I went into detail about this part of my program with new families enquiring about my service because some are not comfortable with this philosophy and that is perfectly ok, but they were not a match for what I was offering and when you are clear right from the start with expectations, it avoids many dramas down the

track. So, my advice is to communicate your outdoor play philosophy and practice clearly to all parents and carers before they enrol!

7. Keep a list of rainy day outdoor play ideas to draw on when the weather sends a wet day your way – spontaneous play is often the most rewarding so just go with the flow and write it on your program later!

8. Remember that rain is just water. Yes, the children will get wet, but they will also quickly dry! Waterproof jackets and raincoats will usually keep them warm and well protected anyway. Yes, they might get dirty, but they will wash clean again!

9. Put in place a system of stripping off clothes before going indoors, washing hands and feet in buckets if muddy then changing into spare clothes that have already been laid out. I do this step before we even think of coming back inside, putting a little extra effort into this sort of preparation can really save you a whole lot of stress – especially when dealing with busy and tired toddlers!

10.Obviously if the weather is dangerous with high winds, hail or very heavy rain that might scare younger children, then of course you won’t go outside (it’s all about exercising balance and common sense!) but perhaps you could bring a little rainwater, hail or snow indoors to play with in different ways instead. We love to watch hail turn the green grass white as we don’t get snow in this part of Australia, so it leads to many discussions!

So now we have the excuses out of the way let’s create a rainy-day play toolkit of ideas you can draw upon next time you face a rainy day – whether for home or the early learning environment.

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squirt of dishwashing detergent helps make it go further and spread more easily) then pass out spoons or sticks so everyone can help stir and mix. Use a variety of paint brushes like washing up brushes, dish mops, nail brushes, shaving brushes or just hands to paint paper, rocks or trees with the mud.

Choose a few of the following activity ideas and make sure to go to http://bit. ly/EmpoweredEducator to download my free mini guide so you can use the rainy-day toolkit template and print off a poster for families that will help you communicate the benefits of wet weather play for children.

20 Easy Ideas for Outdoor Rainy-Day Play 1. Choose some plastic drink

containers (water bottles work well) from the recycle bin and make your own rain gauges to collect rainwater. Very simple process – I like to add a little edicol powder paint to the bottom of the bottles so that children can see the water level clearly for measuring. Simply cut the top of the bottle off 3/4 up then turn over and insert into open mouth of bottle to create a funnel.

2.

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Add a basket or tub of guttering pieces, pipes, PVC connectors and other loose parts to have fun making waterways. Can you change the direction of the water? What will float on the water?

Explore texture, smells and colour mixing by painting with mud. Ask everyone to help collect a cup of mud and pour into a big tub – if not still raining add a little water to thin the mud a little (a

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4.

5.

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Provide access to large blocks, bricks, rocks and other loose parts so the children can build bridges and pathways across muddy puddles and create different versions of waterways and river systems.

Lay thick cardboard on tables, paths or just the ground. Give the children shakers with a little powder paint in them and stand back as they sprinkle onto the cardboard then watch as the rain drops make colourful artworks and patterns. Stand them against a wall for a different creative effect.

Pass out the baskets and raincoats and head off on a neighbourhood or outdoor area nature walk. What can you see?

What can you collect? What can you smell? What can you hear?

Use your phone to record sounds or help the children take photos.

Work together afterwards to create a display, journal or book.

7.

Gather some large cardboard pieces from the recycle bin, lay out on concrete or level ground then set up a simple bike pathway. The children can ride through muddy puddles, wet paths or grass and then ride over the cardboard creating tire marks to compare and examine.

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Place a few mirrors around the outdoor play space and talk about what happens when the rain drops land on the mirrors. What else do they see?

9. Invite opportunities for role

play by adding different sized, shaped and textured sponges to the outdoor area on a rainy day along with a few buckets and squeegees and ask the children to become window cleaners while it rains on the windows! This also works well as a car and bike wash activity.

10. Place sheets of a dark coloured

cardboard onto wet grass or sand and watch as the rain drops make patterns on the card. You can also turn the card over and press into the wet grass or sand then shake off and look at the patterns left.

11. Provide old tarps, plastic sheets,

umbrellas, tents, play tunnels, wood, and other loose parts so the children can design and build a shelter, cubby or den to hide them from the rain.

12. Take out some newspaper and

some coloured crepe paper cut into smaller sheets. Ask the children to scrunch the papers up then wet in the rain and stamp onto white paper or card. The crepe paper will make colourful patterns while the newspaper makes fantastic darker smudges!

13. Sprinkle some powder paint or

food colouring into puddles on pathways then use brooms to sweep the water and mix colours.

14. Add real life cooking tools and

loose parts to the sand or mud kitchen and watch the creativity and sensory play emerge. When it’s raining there is so much more to create with!

15. Toddlers will love this activity –

take an assortment of saucepans, cake tins, plastic bowls and colanders (Kmart have small ones which are perfect for little hands) outside with you into the rain.

You will also need a tub of water (if not raining heavily) and some jugs for pouring the water.

Encourage the children to build towers that balance with the saucepans and other items (you might need to help younger toddlers) and then pour the water over the top and watch it cascade down the tower like a waterfall. Does it knock it over or

have they balanced everything just right? You could add a little edicol colour to the water if you wanted to add to the play.

For older children this is also a fantastic activity to explore those engineering, basic maths, problem solving, imagination and construction skills as they stack items to form a balanced tower for the water to run over and down. Extend the play by adding PVC pipes, guttering or other loose parts.

16. Squirt a little bubble mix or

detergent into a few puddles, hand out a few wire whisks and show children how to make bubbly puddles.

17. Run around filling buckets and

bowls with rainwater then use brushes to paint the fences, walls and outdoor equipment – always a favourite, no colour needed!

18. Fill a bucket with rainwater and

add some sponges, dish scourers, soft balls or anything else similar that you have, then lay a stick on the ground close to a large puddle. Children take turns standing behind the stick and trying to throw the sponges into the puddles.

19. Older children can use hammers

soak in the rainwater to create chalk paint. Race to paint pictures around the yard, equipment and walls before the rain washes them off!

20. Hand out notepads, pens and

pencils to older children and ask them to design and think about ways they could collect rainwater and then reuse it. They can then get creative drawing a poster to show how their invention will work.

And of course, when it comes to fun don’t forget the easiest activity to enjoy on a rainy day – jumping in muddy puddles…or over…or around!

I hope these activities help you to easily fill that outdoor rainy-day play toolkit no matter what age the child!

If you are still a little hesitant why not start with coming out to play soon after the rain has passed as it can be just as much fun, and you can still try many of the ideas above.

Visit http://bit.ly/EmpoweredEducator to see some wonderful photos of outdoor rainy day play and to download and print a free mini eBook and A4 poster for easy reference.

This article was written by Jodie Clarke, The Empowered Educator, and is reproduced with permission. www.theempowerededucatoronline.com

to crush coloured chalk and then

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A journey of reflection Kathy Hogan > Torquay Kids

An opportunity became possible through funding from the Long Day Care Professional Development Programme (LDCPDP) for our Educational Leader and myself to attend the 2015 Reggio Emilia Conference in Melbourne – Landscapes of Imagination.

As educators, the pedagogy had been of interest, but we had no idea how this trip would change our service and its practices; how it would shape us, our centre and our future. Inspired by presenters and their wonderful stories of learning, we wondered how we could ever achieve this in Australia.

We engaged in much conversation about the conference and wished we could be like that. We left the conference after an exhilarating visit to The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibition and a purchase of two books and a video.

Unlike most PD where notes are filed away in a dark cupboard never to be revisited, we used them to inspire the rest of our team in the Reggio Emilia approach. Taking our enthusiasm back, we challenged the team to research the approach and come back with a project that would resonate with them about the teachings of Reggio Emilia.

Many perspectives were presented, but the level of excitement was not what we expected. Such interest and enthusiasm enabled us to plan our way forward.

We began an in-depth study around the Reggio Emilia principles. Weekly meetings became a springboard for robust conversation, exploring text, language and ideals of the approach.

We learnt a whole new dialogue that seemed strange but comfortable. A

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total review of philosophy became inevitable as we began to grow in knowledge and interest. Vision boards were used by everyone to determine a core set of values that depicted who we were at this point. They too have evolved with every annual review of philosophy and changes to our community of families and staff.

was changed, bright colours were changed to neutrals, harsh lighting to soft, plastic to natural, barriers to rooms broken down, an atelier built.

Such a transformation, children and teachers working together in calm environments. Listening, deeply listening to find the children’s voices for directing the learning.

As novices, we felt we needed guidance and researched other centres within distance who had a Reggio-inspired program and began to network with another purpose-built Reggio Centre on the Sunshine Coast.

Every educator, over time, attended a day trip to review this service’s practice, program and environment.

We were convinced that we could contextualise this approach to our service, not be Reggio Emilia, but definitely be inspired by the approach.

The journey has seen a human environment and mindset change; with our teachers becoming truly, deeply reflective practitioners. Our current focus is investigating our approach to documentation, one that is continuing after two years and again being challenged after discovering a podcast from Deborah Harcourt called “Documentation Fatigue”. All staff are currently reflecting on the audience for our work and for whom we should be preparing this recording of learning.

Parents, regulatory authorities or for us and the children. Another challenge but definitely one worthy of critical reflection if we truly believe in giving ourselves back to the children. After two years we consider ourselves as being on the beginning of our journey, a journey that will never end as we continue to learn, grow and be inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach.

We began purchasing and dissecting other text and this resulted in a new way we perceived the child. The hundred languages suddenly took on a whole new meaning. Seeing the child as capable and competent meant reviewing our program in its entirety. Naturally getting lost at times and needing to find our way back through a myriad of information and other’s ideas about the approach.

It was at this point we realised it had to be ours, not someone else’s. The physical environment

Torquay Kids invites anyone interested in visiting the service to contact Kathy at the service on 07 4194 6771.

supporting you and your industry

We are a specialist superannuation fund, committed to: • Enhancing financial literacy amongst child care workers • Helping centre managers meet their super needs • Providing support to you and your staff when and where you need it

We’re here to help 1800 060 215 childcaresuper.com.au

Guild Trustee Services Pty Limited ABN 84 068 826 728 AFS Licence No. 233815 RSEL No. L0000611 as Trustee of the Guild Retirement Fund ABN 22 599 554 834 (which includes Child Care Super) My Super Authorisation No. 22599554834526. Refer to the PDS for more information about Child Care Super. You can get a copy of the PDS by calling 1800 060 215.

A conversation with innovation leaders in the early childhood industry Lucy Cook Sharyn Fewster, CEO and founder > MiCare Global

The MiCare team are inspired by leaders who are making positive change in the childcare industry. We connected with ACA Qld to set up a regular column profiling the innovation leaders of the sector.

Why Innovation Leaders?

We believe innovation is a key component to success, but it’s often unchartered territory. By providing the stories of others in the industry, MiCare hopes to add value and confidence to others who are facing similar changes.

MiCare are grateful to Lucy Cook, who provided her time to share her

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innovation story. Lucy is the General Manager of Amaze Education Group, leading and mentoring 105 staff and 10 managers. Lucy has grown her business to three early education and five school age care centres across South-East Queensland. Amaze is currently building its fourth early education centre, due to open in January 2018.

Lucy’s entrepreneurial approach has seen her open a second arm that runs Amaze Kids Conference and Event Care mobile kid’s clubs. Lucy says affordability should be no barrier to getting kids active and in 2015 she realised a long-held goal to establish a not-for-profit. Called Amaze Active Outside School Hours Care, it aims to provide busy parents with physical activity solutions for their kids.

MiCare: In 20 words or less, what was the innov ation you implemented that you believe positively impacted your childcare centre(s) Lucy: The latest innovation we have introduce d is our Risky Play Philosophy. We believe that by exposing children to risk, we are in fact maki ng them safer. We do this with all the safety parameters in place. We love seeing children extend and challenge themselves and develop their problem solving and creativity. At our Amaze EEC Ormeau, we included a purpose-built fire pit area.

MiCare: What was the catalyst for change that

meant you couldn’t keep doing the same thing s?

Lucy: We saw that despite the change to the EYLF in promoting the incorporation of the natu ral environment and the concept of the outdoor classroom, we felt there was still an amount of sterility and low element of risk. We were want ing to create an amazing outdoor environment for our new Ormeau centre that fit with our philo sophy. We got sick of receiving quotes from bland playground builders who presented a ‘same same ’ design. One actually told us they didn’t build over 1.2m high!! Something had to change.

MiCare: As a leader, what was the most impo rtant skill(s) that you required to lead this chan ge / innovative solution?

Lucy: Tangible passion and an infectious amou nt of enthusiasm. We engaged the staff from the beginning, and during the construction phas e. Lukas Ritson, from Own Grown Organics, incorporates both educator and parent training and information sessions into the design plan.

The educators develop the risk assessments together which ensures safety through enga gement.

MiCare: What were the greatest challenges / obstacles you have faced with leading and implementing change that others should take notice of if they wanted to do something simil ar?

Lucy: There is always a discomfort felt when you challenge the status quo. This simply has to be acknowledged and worked through. All our playground elements have a story and a purp ose (usually several), so knowing the WHY is reass uring. Our local Early Childhood Officer was on board from the beginning because we explained the underpinning knowledge, educational value , benefits and training. The central office was also on board. However, when it hit internatio nal media, questions were asked from the state office. They didn’t actually know what they needed from us, but it came down to reassurance from us and a discussion about all of the above.

MiCare: What was the final outcome and how did it change from what you had originally set out to achieve?

Lucy: The final outcome has exceeded our expe ctations. We have been contacted by others services from around Australia, who are keen to implement some risky elements to their outd oor environment. At a recent conference in the US we were recognised as industry leaders and I had the opportunity to help childcare owners with their initiatives against very anti-risk regulation s.

We have a wonderful, multi-age, multi-use envir onment with risk, challenge, and more importantly a reason and purpose. At our centr e at Gaven, which is being built to open in Janu ary, we haven’t approached it with a cookie cutte r. We have taken the same Risky Play Philosoph y and applied it to suit the environment. For exam ple, we have a tower over 3m in height, with Perspex panels so children can be up high amon gst the tree canopy of the wildlife corridor at the rear of the centre.

If you or somebody you know has been a lead er of great innovation in the Early Childhood Industry and you would like to share your story, please contact the friendly team at MiCare Glob al on 1300 393 359. www.micareglobal.com

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A Body Positive Dietitian’s Open Letter to Educators Deb Blakley > Kids Dig Food

Dear Educators What would you say if I told you that you hold the power to nurture a child’s relationship with food or to destroy it? Amongst all the other amazing things you do, you may not have realised that when it’s time to eat, your teaching skills are in most need. In fact, any time that food or eating is the focus of learning or discussion for the little ones in your care, you have a golden opportunity.

Our kids are growing up in a world that tells them they can’t trust themselves to make the right decisions when it comes to food. That people need diets and the latest superfood to be healthy.

They learn that some foods are good, some are bad, some are healthy, and some are not.

They learn that others know better than they do about how much food they should eat - “finish the plate” or “a few more bites” or “you can’t possibly still be hungry”.

Our world teaches them that their bodies need to look a certain way to fit in; that certain bodies are preferred, and some are to be reviled. They mistakenly learn that to be thin is to be healthy and to be fat is not.

Through all this they learn that they are not enough, and slowly they begin

to tune out and not listen to the soft whispers of their bodies that guide them to take care of their bodies and nourish themselves faithfully.

Children hear these body whispers loud and clear as babies, but sometime very soon after babyhood our society teaches them not to listen anymore.

But YOU have the power to change that.

You can teach children that food is just food, not good or bad.

You can remind them that all bodies are amazing, no matter their size, shape or colour.

You can be the gentle voice that reminds them that all bodies can be healthy and do wondrous things, no matter their shape, size, colour or gender.

You can gently support them to be food explorers so that they may enjoy all kinds of foods, remaining free of moral judgement of their eating for life.

You can teach children to tune back into the whispers of their bodies telling them when they are tired and when they need to run, when they are hungry and when they have had enough to eat. You can teach them to REALLY listen.

This is what it means to be mindful and to JUST BE. It is the path to health.

You can help restore a child’s faith in themselves and in their body, and as you do that you will begin to restore faith in yourself and in your body too.

Eat happy!

Deb

Deb Blakley is a Brisbane-based Accredited Practising Dietitian, Nutritionist and mum who is passionate about kids learning to love food from birth and beyond. She delights in supporting grown-ups (parents, carers and educators) to positively and joyfully connect or reconnect with food and eating. Deb believes that ALL bodies are amazing, and she applies a weightneutral, non-diet approach in supporting kids to grow into the bodies that are right for them. She supports parents, carers, families and educators to make decisions about nutrition and health from a place of care and consideration rather than control. www.kidsdigfood.com.au

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good investments don’t cost the earth HESTA Eco Pool. Australia’s first socially responsible investment option. Now ranked number one for performance by SuperRatings.* hesta.com.au * SuperRatings Sustainable Fund Credit Ratings Survey, year ended 30 June 2017, found HESTA Eco Pool was top performing balanced SRI option over 1, 5 and 10 year timeframe.

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Product ratings are only one factor to be considered when making a decision. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Before making a decision about HESTA products you should read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (call 1800 813 327 or visit hesta.com.au for a copy).

On behalf of our members, ACA Qld supports a chosen charity each year. This year, the two very deserving causes are: Super Max & Bryce and Zephyr Education

Super Max & Bryce The Super Max & Bryce project spreads love, hope, happiness and comfort to children with cancer through gifts of Super Max the Turtle night lights. These special night lights, created by the Cloud b organisation, are designed to be easily sanitised so they can be taken to even the strictest of hospital environments to help bring peaceful, healthy and healing sleep to children in treatment.

The project was started in August 2016 by nine-year-old Bryce from Gold Coast, Queensland. As he watched his Mum go through multiple cancerrelated surgeries and a rigorous cancer treatment program, Bryce couldn’t imagine how scary it would be to be a child going through the same thing. He decided to take action at his school, St Andrews Lutheran College, by raising money to purchase Super Max the Turtles for children with cancer.

Bryce’s initial goal was six turtle night lights. By the end of 2016, Bryce had raised enough money to give 244

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turtle night lights to children with cancer. Inspired to do more, Bryce’s 2017 goal is to give a Super Max the Turtle night light to every child who is diagnosed with cancer this year in Australia.

Committee member Kerrie Lada and General Manager Brent Stokes, presented $1000 to Bryce and his family to help reach his goal to raise $12,000 to purchase Super Max the Turtle night lights for every single child who is diagnosed with cancer in Australia.

ACA Qld’s donation will allow Bryce to purchase 67 Turtles!

“Our hope is that one day we won’t purchase any turtles because there will no longer be children with cancer.

Until then, thank you very, very much for your donation.” - Amy & Bryce Please follow their journey on Facebook (Super Max & Bryce), Instagram (SuperMaxAndBryce) and website (www.supermaxandbryce.org ) and know that many of the smiles you see are thanks to ACA Qld’s support.

Zephyr Education In April 2013, an article appeared in the Courier Mail highlighting the plight of mothers and their children arriving at domestic violence shelters, often with only the clothes on their backs. The article made a plea for essential items for the children, such as school bags, school shoes, socks, stationery, books, etc.

The hope was that a large corporation would step up. The thing is, it wasn’t a large corporation that did anything, it was Isabella Bevan. Sisters Isabella and Carmel had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Their initial goal was to support one or two shelters in Brisbane to assess their needs and their capacity to meet them. Isabella and Carmel soon realised that there was a vital need for the items they were providing and that many other shelters needed support.

Zephyr Education was registered as a charity in 2013 and continued to grow. At the start of 2015 they were supplying school clothing, books and other items to children at five shelters in south-east Queensland. By the end of the year that number had increased to 16.

Now, Zephyr Education is assisting children in 52 shelters throughout Queensland, from the Gold Coast to Cairns as well as in Mt Isa and other

western regions.

In 2016, in response to a request from the manager of a shelter in Tasmania, Zephyr Education extended their operations. They now supply school items to children in all seven shelters operating in Tasmania. The entire operation still operates out of Isabella’s garage. No one is paid to work for Zephyr and it is supported 24/7 by many volunteers who are not reimbursed for personal expenses therefore 100% of donations go directly to the children. Last financial year, Zypher Education assisted more than 1200 children. On average, $4000 to $5000 is needed annually to support each shelter.

For Zephyr to work, attention to detail is vital and they have a three-step plan.

Step 1 - Shelters are flat out. Respond to their need, make your system work for them.

Step 2 – Do it properly! They assembled the school book list and uniform requirements for every grade, so they knew exactly what each child would need, down to the right calculator, lunchbox, text books and protractor. “They need sun shirts or there’s no swimming. All those things mark the child as different and make them stand out,” Carmel said.

Step 3 – Timing is crucial. Starting day.

The reality is NO other charity can do this within 24-48 hours.

Physically, Zephyr can’t stretch any further, but their hope is that someone will replicate their model in other States and Territories what they know to be an economical, practical, highly effective model.

For more information on how to get involved, donate, support or just follow the journey, please go to https://www.facebook.com/ zephyreducationinc/ or https://www. zephyreducation.com.au/

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Educator in Profile: Gabriela Luersen de Camargo Meet Gabriela Luersen de Camargo, an early childhood educator at Currumbin Pines Early Learning Centre of Excellence. Gabriela recently completed her Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care with our college, College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE). She was a finalist for the 2017 Awards for Excellence and the 2017 Queensland Training Awards South East region Bob Marshman Trainee of the Year.

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What inspired you to forge a career in early childhood education and care?

What do you find rewarding about working in the early childhood sector?

Both my grandmother and mother were teachers, so teaching was always an option as a career. However, what really inspired me to be an early childhood educator was young children, definitely! Their wonder and vision of our world simply fascinates me!

When you see the children engaging and loving the activities you proposed, when you see them reaching their goals, when we get positive feedback from parents regarding the child’s learning interests, when you see the children learning, growing and discovering new things‌ Amongst many other daily little details that sometimes pass unseen due to our busy routines!

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How would you describe your early childhood philosophy?

I would say that I am very loyal to my code of ethics and very child oriented. Treating every child, from babies to pre-schoolers, with full respect, care and with the highest expectations and equity.

What is your biggest challenge as an educator and what strategies do you put in place to manage these challenges?

I believe that my biggest challenge, besides caring for all the children in the room, is to still find a way to make their days personal and with a minimum of a daily oneon-one time and in a meaningful way. Creating a sense of belonging of each child and letting them know that every single one of them is special and that their presence matters. It breaks my heart at the thought that some children might feel like they were left behind by their parents, and that they are also spending a whole day in a place that they are just one more name on the role. The best strategies that I found so far is to guide educators to make an effort, to really be personal to the children and to work as a team to supervise the room and keep it flowing while one child might be having one-on-one time. It’s not easy, but also not impossible.

How have the challenges you faced helped you to grow as an educator?

It is during the challenging times in our lives that we are able to grow. That is when I really needed to stop and sit down to reflect on my practices and procedures. Most of the times, it wasn’t enough to do it alone, I had to discuss the challenge with my colleagues and/or supervisor, learning even more and not only improving personally and professionally, but also making our team even more integrated and stronger.

What role do families play within the program you deliver?

How do you engage them?

Families play a crucial role. Considering that I work with young Toddies (15-18 months) who don’t really talk, my program is based on what attracts them when they are free playing and on the information that families share with us regarding their children’s interests and what they do on their leisure time outside kindy. There’s a section called “Families’ feedback” on our monthly planning where all this information is registered. They are also asked to help us with resources or ideas to keep them engaged and mindful that their opinion is important and that they are also helping to construct their child’s environment and daily activities.

What is the most important skill you hope to develop in the children you care for?

Confidence. I believe that if children are confident and comfortable with their own self and identity, they have the disposition for many other and greater skills, such as kindness and empathy, enthusiasm for learning and exploring their world.

What advice would you give to someone who wishes to start a career in early childhood education and care?

I would advise them to ease into it and study! Many people think (as we all very well know) that all we do for the whole day is to sit down with the children and play. Being a good early childhood educator requires so much more than that. So, if you want to go for it, be aware of the importance of our role and do your best!

ve an Do you ha tor story u g ed ca outstandin t to share? you wan story to Email your iance.org.au careall qld@child

EARLY EDITION > SUMMER 2017

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Education Council extension of workforce transitional regulations Brent Stokes > ACA Qld General Manager

Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland (ACA Qld) congratulated the Education Council on their extension of several transitional provisions in the Education and Care Service National Regulations primarily relating to staffing and qualifications in the children’s education and care sector before the end of the year.

Extending the following provisions until 2020 provides certainty, supporting the availability of qualified educators to maintain continuity for children’s education and care.

The relevant Regulations are:

relevant ratio for the service until 31 December 2019 if the service is located in a remote or very remote area.

This applies only as long as the person is employed by the same approved provider.

• Regulation 239A – relating to centre-based services in remote and very remote areas. A service may meet the NQF requirements for Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) if the service has access to an ECT at least 20% of the time.

• Regulation 242 – relating to the definition of an ECT being expanded to include a person who has completed 50% of the relevant qualification (or if you already hold an approved diploma level qualification) and is working towards its completion can be counted as an early childhood teacher under regulation 242. http://www. acecqa.gov.au/actively-working-towards-an-approvedqualification

• Regulation 240 Qualifications for educators — centrebased service, in remote and very remote areas (only).

If an educator at a centre-based service has been continuously employed as an educator for at least 15 years immediately before 1 January 2012, the educator can be counted in the relevant educator to child ratio for a service even if they do not hold (or are not actively working towards) a Certificate III level education and care qualification. The educator can be counted in the 18

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• Regulation 300 Educator to child ratios — children aged 15 months to 24 months. 1:5 if approved by the department to continue using 1:5 ratio from 31 March 2012 to 31 December 2019 (Regulation 300). Otherwise 1:4

ACA Qld’s strong and ongoing consultation with the Minister for Education, the Hon Kate Jones and the Queensland Department of Education and Training has provided commonsensical amendments that represent an excellent outcome, continuing high quality while delivering real affordability relief for Queensland families.

Rest period, pauses and short absences The Education Council has also extended provisions in the regulations in relation to the rest period, pauses and short absences in Queensland. This is a result of true collaboration between industry and government and we applaud the Minister for listening and understanding the education sector and the families who entrust their children in education and care.

Rest pause means a short break taken by a person from duties of the person’s employment; 99F - Educator to child ratios when educator or early childhood teacher on rest pause 1. A centre-based service is taken to meet the relevant educator to child ratio while an educator or early childhood teacher is on a rest pause if— a. the rest pause is not more than 10 minutes duration; and

the centre-based service is taken to meet the relevant qualification requirements for educators.

3. In this regulation, a reference to an early childhood teacher is a reference to an early childhood teacher who is counted as an educator in calculating the educator to child ratio of the service. (Note. An early childhood teacher cannot be counted as an educator in calculating the educator to child ratio unless the teacher is working directly with children—see regulation 122.)

Rest period condition means a condition on a service approval providing for one or more periods during a day, totalling not more than 2 hours during the day, to be rest periods for an approved education and care service.

299C - Educator to child ratios during rest period 1. Despite anything to the contrary in these Regulations, the educator to child ratios during a rest period specified in a rest period condition are— a. for children over 24 months but less than 36 months of age— i. for the first 12 children, 1 educator to 12 children; ii. for any additional children, 1 educator to 6 children;

b. the educator or early childhood teacher has not already taken more than one rest pause that day; and

b. for children over 30 months but less than 36 months of age—

c. there is a specified person present at the education and care service premises during the rest pause who is —

i. for the first 16 children, 1 educator to 16 children;

i. not working with children; and ii. able to attend to children immediately if required; and (Note. The person may be the educator or early childhood teacher who is taking the rest pause.)

ii. for any additional children, 1 educator to 8 children; c. for children at least 3 years but under 7 years of age— i. for the first 24 children, 1 educator to 24 children; ii. for any additional children, 1 educator to 12 children;

d. only one educator or early childhood teacher counted in the relevant required educator to child ratio is absent on a rest pause at any one time; and e. if the centre-based service has a rest period condition, the educator or early childhood teacher does not take the rest pause during a rest period.

2. During a rest pause taken by an educator or early childhood teacher in accordance with subregulation (1),

EARLY EDITION > SUMMER 2017 19

Planning an excursion in early learning The team at Guild Insurance

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Excursions run by an early learning centre can have many benefits for the children involved. It’s a change in their usual routine at the centre and can create unique learning opportunities. However, removing children from the relatively stable and secure environment of an early learning centre creates additional risks for the service to identify and manage. Thorough planning is essential!

Additional risks may exist when on an excursion because: • You’re in an unfamiliar environment and it may be difficult or impossible for you to alter or control the environment in terms of safety factors. For example – if there is no fence around a lake in a park, you won’t be able to erect one to reduce the risk of a child entering the water.

• Transportation will be required. It may be in a vehicle such as a bus or it may be on foot if walking to the location. Regardless of the mode of transport used, this transport will present risks not present when in a centre.

• You’ll possibly be in the presence of members of the public. This can create a number of risks such as children getting lost in a crowd or wandering off with other people.

Tips for planning a safe excursion • Be sure your insurance will provide the right cover for your excursion.

• It’s a requirement under the Education and Care Services National Regulations that a risk assessment be carried out prior to the excursion. You need to note the risks which have been identified

and assessed and how you intend to manage them. An excursion risk management plan template is available from the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). Your risk assessment is not limited to but must include the following: ·· The proposed route and transport for the excursion ·· Water hazards ·· The number of children and adults attending and any special skills required from the staff ·· The proposed duration of the excursion and activities to be undertaken ·· Items to be taken, such as a first aid kit and emergency contact details.

• Consider actually visiting the site whilst planning and conducting your risk assessment. This will provide you with a better understanding of how safe the site is and what the risks are.

• Obtain written authorisation from a parent or another person named on the child’s enrolment record as having this authority. This is to be done after the risk assessment

has been completed. Be sure the authorisation contains the required information as set out in the National Regulations.

• Adhere to the required educator to child ratios. Whilst there is no requirement to increase this ratio whilst on an excursion, following your risk assessment you should consider if additional staff or volunteers may be warranted. If the activity involves potential highrisk activities, such as water based activities, additional staff may help to reduce the risks.

• Create a plan for how you’ll verify attendance numbers at various stages throughout the excursion.

• The National Regulations require all early learning centres to have a policy regarding excursions. Be sure all of your staff are aware of this policy and refer to it when planning an excursion.

ACECQA and state based regulatory authorities provide a great deal of information to assist services understand and adhere to regulations.

For further information please visit acecqa.gov.au or acecqa.gov.au/ contact-your-regulatory-authority.

Guild Insurance Limited ABN 55 004 538 863, AFS Licence No. 233 791. This article contains information of a general nature only, and is not intended to constitute the provision of legal advice. Guild Insurance supports your Association through the payment of referral fees for certain products or services you take out with them. www.guildinsurance.com.au

EARLY EDITION > SUMMER 2017

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New ATO reporting rules The team at Child Care Super

The ATO has announced new rules on how you need to report superannuation and other payments.

From 1 July 2018, many employers will have to report salaries, PAYG withholding tax and super contributions to the ATO at the same time as they pay their employees.

It’s called Single Touch Payroll reporting and it’s been described as a streamlined solution that will benefit both employers and staff with less paperwork and greater visibility of payments.

So how it will affect you? What do you need to do to prepare? And will penalties apply if you don’t comply?

You’ll find the answers here in our overview of Single Touch Payroll reporting.

What’s the change at a glance?

With Single Touch Payroll each time you pay your employees, you will also be required to send details of their PAYG tax, super and other payments directly to the ATO via your online payroll system.

When does it apply?

Single Touch Payroll reporting will start on 1 July 2018.

Will it affect you?

The new Single Touch Payroll reporting system will be mandatory if you have 20 or more employees.

Under the rules, you’ll need to count your employees on 1 April 2018.

You don’t need to know your total employees for the year or the full time equivalent (FTE). You simply need to do a head count on 1 April 2018. If you have 20 or more staff on that date, you’ll need to start

Information for this article was drawn from the ATO website.

This document contains general information only, it does not purport to be comprehensive, nor does it purport to provide you with legal advice. It has not taken into account your specific circumstances. You should legal advice from an appropriately qualified

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reporting through Single Touch Payroll from 1 July 2018. If you have 19 or fewer employees, you aren’t required to use the Single Touch Payroll system at this stage. However, it’s planned to expand the system to include employers with fewer than 20 employees in 2019.

The good news is you won’t need to change your payroll cycle. You can continue to pay employees weekly, fortnightly or monthly, just as you do now. You can also have different payment cycles for different employees.

You don’t have to wait until July 2018. No matter how many people you employ, you can start taking advantage of the benefits of Single Touch Payroll now. You can simply opt in to start using Single Touch Payroll reporting as soon as you have compatible payroll software.

What are the benefits for employers?

This streamlined reporting system means you won’t need to run a separate process to track ATO payroll and super payments. You may also no longer need to provide your employees with payment summaries at the end of each financial year.

Instead, the ATO will provide the information directly to employees through the MyGov web portal if they have a MyGov account. So it can make things easier for them too.

What do you need to do to prepare?

Payroll software providers are already updating their systems to facilitate Single Touch Payroll reporting. Check with your payroll software provider to see when your software update is available. If you use an accountant or bookkeeper, they can update their software and report through Single Touch Payroll on your behalf.

However, if you currently report manually to the ATO, now may be the time to bite the bullet and upgrade to an online payroll solution that is enabled for Single Touch Payroll.

Will penalties apply if you make a mistake?

During the first 12 months of the new system, the ATO has indicated that you won’t pay a penalty if you file a late report. And don’t worry if you make a mistake while you’re getting used to the system. You can simply correct any errors in a later Single Touch Payroll report.

Where can you find out more?

To find out more about the introduction of Single Touch Payroll reporting, visit the ATO website www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/aboutus/in-detail/strategic-direction/ streamlined-reporting-with-singletouch-payroll/

professional.

calling 1800 060 215 or by visiting childcaresuper.com.au

Before making a decision about Child Care Super, you should consider whether the product is appropriate to your needs, objectives and circumstances. Accordingly, you should read the Child Care Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before you make a decision about this product. You can get a copy of the PDS by

Guild Trustee Services Pty Limited ABN 84 068 826 728 AFS Licence No. 233815 RSE Licence No. L0000611 as Trustee of the Guild Retirement Fund ABN 22 599 554 834 (which includes Child Care Super) My Super Authorisation No. 22599554834526.

Tips for managing a staff member who is routinely absent The team at Employer Services

Staff absences can have a big impact on the success of a service. Here, we look at two scenarios that often arise and discuss ways to address them.

I have an employee who books holidays before applying for annual leave, which leaves me feeling I have no choice but to approve the time off, even if it doesn’t suit the business.

Remind the employee that annual leave is granted at the employer’s discretion, as opposed to being determined at the employee’s election. Whilst annual leave won’t be unreasonably withheld, booking a holiday before applying for leave doesn’t guarantee the employee will be approved for the time off.

Reiterate to the employee how much notice they are required to give when applying for annual leave (direct the employee to your policy, if you have one) and let them know that approval of time off will be determined according to the operational requirements of the business at the time the leave is to be taken.

Finally, advise the employee that, even if their leave applications have always been accommodated in the past, if they continue to book holidays in advance of being approved for annual leave, in future they risk the disappointment of

having to cancel the holiday if the leave cannot be approved. If these sorts of discussions have been held with the employee previously but they continue to book holidays before gaining approval for time off, it may be necessary to point out that their leave application will not be approved in this instance and failure to attend work during the period will be treated as an unauthorised absence which may jeopardise their continued employment with your business. It is always wise to have a business reason to support the decision for non-approval of the leave. Severe action such as this would generally be a last resort, but there may be instances where you are left with no other option.

I have a staff member who regularly takes days off ‘sick’ but I’m not sure whether the absences are genuine.

No employee can help being genuinely unwell and good employers always understand this, but there are certainly employees in the workforce who seem to push the limits on what is reasonable when it comes to accessing personal/carer’s leave.

Perhaps the first and simplest step in managing absences which may not be genuine is to not display the personal leave accrual balance on an employee’s payslip. This is not a requirement by law (though you do need to be able to produce this information if an employee requests it) so if you get the sense you have an employee who ‘chucks a sickie’ whenever they know they have a day accrued and owing, not identifying this information on their weekly/fortnightly payslip may assist in curtailing this behaviour.

The next step is usually the most useful in managing absences which may not be genuine and that is to start requiring evidence to support the absences. Evidence would include a medical certificate or statutory declaration and, as long as you are not bound by a policy that says otherwise, you can ask for evidence to support even single day absences on personal/carer’s leave. That’s because the National Employment Standards (NES) which provides for the entitlement to personal/carer’s leave, allows for evidence to be required in support of an absence regardless of its duration.

If you have any questions about this information, please call the team at Employer Services on 3220 3500. You can also access a wide range of online resources as part of your membership by logging into the ACA Qld website and clicking on the industrial relations link.

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Educator Mentoring Program Tailored PD for early childhood educators What is it?

The Educator Mentoring Program is a full in-service program that provides tailored professional development and support to early childhood education and care services on the issues impacting educators. The purpose of these visits is to provide your team with an experienced and independent mentor who will provide objective feedback regarding ideas, approaches and identified/non-identified issues.

Part A Professional Development Workshop

A 2-hour workshop focusing on an identified core need for your service. This is an opportunity to bring your team together for group learning and reflection on best practice.

Part B Mentoring

Includes 6 hours of mentoring inside your service to work on issues most relevant to you and your educators.

The mentor will work directly with you and your educators to: . provide expert advice on any aspect of service delivery . build confidence in your program and approach . provide possible solutions to your issues . engage in professional conversations . communicate positively in a non-judgemental approach.

Part C Reflection and Advice

This is an opportunity for the mentor to work with the Approved Provider or Nominated Supervisor to discuss their observations. It is an opportunity to speak with a peer about the strengths of your service, your educators and your vision for the future.

What topics can be covered?

BO 07 O 38 K 08 NO 23 W 66 !

The following topics can be included in Part A (select one) and Part B of the program: .

Creative programming and thinking outside the box .

Manage documentation and understand the connections between the National Quality Standard (NQS) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) .

How to resource your service without breaking the bank .

Create inviting indoor and outdoor play spaces .

Build positive and engaged teams .

Practical approaches in sustainability .

Routines and transitions

Do I Require a Food Licence & Documented / Audited Food Safety Program for my ECEC service?

Jerome Cramer > Director, Compliance Auditing & Training Australasia Pty Ltd

It is a common misunderstanding amongst operators of early childhood education and care services that a Food Licence and a documented Food Safety Program is not required, when food is prepared and/or cooked on premises or sourced from a supplier providing ready to eat meals which need to be further processed or re-heated.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Standard 3.3.1, is quoted below: ‘This Standard requires food businesses that process food for service to vulnerable persons to implement a documented and audited food safety program.

Food businesses that process or serve potentially hazardous food for hospital patients, aged care recipients, children in child care centres and vulnerable people receiving other services will generally, fall within the requirements of this Standard, provided the food is intended for six or more vulnerable persons’.

The next step in the process is the on-premise Food Safety Audit by a Queensland Health Approved Food Safety Auditor, within six months of the date of accreditation of a Food Safety Program.

The ongoing audit frequencies are then set by the Local Council.

Compliance Auditing & Training Australasia Pty Ltd provides a comprehensive service to Child Care Centres, Australia wide, and will be able to assist you. www.cataptyltd.com

The only reason you have not had to comply, is because your Local Council is very likely unaware that you do provide food.

So, what will happen if the Local Council finds out you are preparing and serving food at your early childhood education and care service? In most cases the Local Council will request you to commence the process of compliance with the application for a Food Licence, within a prescribed timeframe (at the discretion of your Local Council).

This will include the implementation of a customised Food Safety Program documenting the processes undertaken at your service.

The Food Safety Program will then undergo a Desktop Review by a Queensland Health Approved Food Safety Auditor, from which a ‘Notice of Written Advice for Accreditation’ is issued for submission to your Local Council, along with the Food Safety Program for final accreditation, by the Local Council.

You will also need to comply with all the other requirements of the Food Standards Code as listed in the Council Application.

References: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). (n.d). A guide to Standards 3.3.1 - Food Safety Programs for Food Service to Vulnerable Persons.

Retrieved from http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/userguide/Pages/ aguidetostandards3314569.aspx Federal Register of Legislation. (n.d.). Standard 3.3.1 Food safety programs for food service to vulnerable persons. Retrieved from https://www. legislation.gov.au/Details/F2011C00592

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Get to know your committee

Louise Thomas

Meet Louise Thomas, ACA Qld committee member since 2015.

Being the youngest child of a large family and having six sisters, 10 nieces and nephews, I was always destined to work with people and children. My love and passion for being right in the heart of all of the fun led me at the early age of 15 to my path to be an Early Childhood Educator. In my high school year book, I wrote down my goal was to be a centre Director, which I achieved at the age of 24. I left high school in 1989 and began my Traineeship in January 1990.

Since starting in our industry 27 years ago, I am more dedicated to be an early childhood advocate and I thrive on supporting and guiding co-workers in the industry.

I could not think of a better career path to be on.

I have held various positions in the industry from a centre assistant, group leader, childcare director to that of an Area Manager as well as Operations Manager for three large national corporate childcare companies. I have also held positions as a registered training organisation supervisor for one of Australia’s largest childcare companies as well as worked in the community sector.

The commitment and dedication to the industry, giving back to members with such professionalism is inspiring.

People often ask why would I want to volunteer in a role, but simply, I wish I had done it a long time ago.

Without the dedication and time, the committee put in, our industry would be run without knowing what our specific industry needs are. Without ACA Qld to lobby and advocate for the children we are entrusted to educate and care for, educators, Nominated Supervisors and Approved Providers, our industry would not be where it is today.

I thank ACA Qld for all they have done to date and I hope that I can assist in the legacy and being an industry advocate for a long time to come.

I have since ventured out on my own and have been consulting for the last nine years under my own company banner.

Each and every year, wanting to gain the most up to date information I looked forward to attending the ACA Qld national conferences. This is where I connected with industry specialists and made life long connections whilst networking with like-minded advocates.

After 15 years of attending the conferences I decided that it was my time to give back to the industry and take more of a role in supporting the important work we do out in the field and join the committee.

I have just completed my first two years with ACA Qld, some of this time on the Executive as acting Secretary, and have recently been voted to remain on the committee to serve another two years. I could not believe how dedicated the committee are and what they have been doing in the background for such a long time.

EARLY EDITION > SUMMER 2017 27

Associate Member Directory Service

Contact

Area

Phone

Web

Tracey Jory

Thuringowa Central

0422 112 777

www.bronzebusiness.com.au

ANZ Business Bank

Lyn Lange

Brisbane

0401 992 583

www.anz.com

Commonwelath Bank of Australia

Stephanie Kovacevic

Brisbane

07 3014 0714

www.commbank.com.au

Benchmark

Lincoln Bridge

Robina

0424 370 025

www.childcare4sale.com.au

Childcare Concepts

Hilary Knights

Fortitude Valley

0407 572 725

www.childcareconcepts.com.au

Graeme Pettit

Graeme Pettit

Benowa

0421 289 818

www.harcourts.com.au

Absolute Support Training & Resources

Darlene Wadham

Wynnum

0488 666 455

www.absolutesupport.com.au

Childcare By Design

Brenda Abbey

Mooloolaba

0406 920 390

www.childcarebydesign.com.au

Elite Childcare Management

Debbie Thompson

Cannon Hill

0435 74 3 212

www.elitechildcaremanagement.com.au

G8 Education

G8 Education Team

Gold Coast

07 5581 5336

www.g8education.edu.au

Giggletree Pty Ltd

Samantha Ahearn

North Lakes

07 3482 2490

www.giggletree.com.au

Guardian Early Learning Group

Helen Baker

Kelvin Grove

07 3832 7933

www.guardian.edu.au

Kids and Adults Learning

Annette Cunado

Northgate

1300 783 880

www.kal.net.au

Kidsoft

Kidsoft Team

Gold Coast

1800 827 234

www.kidsoft.com.auÂ

QLECS (Qld Lutheren Early Childhood Services)

Maryann Sword

Milton

07 3511 4079

www.qlecs.org.au

Ready Now Resources

Louise Thomas

Helensvale

0410 456 607

www.readynowresources.com.au

Triumph Early Learning Centre Management

Jill Gomez

Zillmere

07 3254 6093

www.triumphearlylearning.com.au

Stephanie Smith

Oxenford

0402 252 762

www.shilus.com.au

Mark Elliott

Balmain

02 9235 2807

www.careforkids.com.au

Compliance Auditing & Training Australasia Pty Ltd

Jerome Cramer

Brisbane

0412 024 258

www.cataptyltd.com

Kids Dig Food

Deb Blakley

North Lakes

0413 433 144

www.kidsdigfood.com.au

Yummies for Little Tummies

Darlene Clark

Sumner

07 3161 8063

www.yummiesforlittletummies.com.au

Peter Jarrett

West End

07 3230 8501

www.guildgroup.com.au

Giovanni Porta

Geebung

07 3265 3888

www.portalawyers.com.au

Ausplay Playscapes

Barry Healey

Wacol

07 3879 4444

www.ausplay.net.au

Timberplay

Sally Alderton

Gold Coast

07 5563 3755

www.timberplay.com.au

Cyber Drafting & Design

Jodie Mark

Tingalpa

07 3393 9159

www.cyberservicesgroup.com.au

Jardine Architects

Greg Jardine

Brisbane

07 3229 9322

www.jardinearchitects.com.au

Accounting / Bookkeeping Bronze Business Services Pty Ltd Banking Services

Brokers

Consultancy / Management

Consultancy / Training Shilus Pty Ltd Directories / Marketing Care For Kids Food & Nutrition

Insurance Services Guild Insurance Legal Porta Lawyers Playground Equipment / Surfacing

Property Services

28

EARLY EDITION > SUMMER 2017

Service

Contact

Area

Phone

Web

MiCare Global

Sharyn Fewster

Brisbane

1300 393 359

www.micareglobal.com

QK Technologies Pty Ltd - QikKids

Sean Murphy

Morningside

1300 367 770

www.qikkids.com.au

RBC Business Solutions

Jason Burgess

Southport

0412 258 085

www.rbcgroup.com.au

Kayleen Tolley

Cannon Hill

0414 559 997

www.physikids.com.au

McArthur

Nicola Taylor

Brisbane

07 3211 9700

www.mcarthur.com.au

Randstad Education

Silva Everaers

Brisbane

07 3337 5230

www.randstadeducation.com.au

Child Care Super

Julie West

West End

0498 001 193

www.childcaresuper.com.au

HESTA Super Fund

Joanne Fenton

Brisbane

1800 813 327

www.hesta.com.au

MyLife MySuper

William Ly

Milton

1300 695 433

www.mylifemysuper.com.au

QIEC Super

Pam Abrey

Brisbane

0417 260 825

www.qiec.com.au

Educational Experience

Andrew Williams

Brisbane

0407 693 391

www.edex.com.au

iSandBox

Joseph Golubinsky

Gold Coast

0412 845 484

www.iSandBox.com.au

Modern Teaching Aids

Marco DeGeus

Frenchs Forest

02 9938 0411

www.teaching.com.au

Suppleyes

Chelsea O’Neill

Ashmore

07 5539 1668

www.suppleyes.com.au

ACE Community College

Robyn Keenan

Burleigh Waters

07 5520 3026

www.acecolleges.edu.au

Astute Early Years Specialists

Mel Comerfood

Chapel Hill

1300 928 228

www.weareastute.com.au

College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE)

Richard Fimeri

Springwood

07 3299 5784

www.caece.com.au

Fluid First Aid

Ben Cleaver

North Lakes

1300 976 276

www.fluidfirstaid.com.au

Gold Coast Institute of TAFE

Maxine Griffiths

Gold Coast

07 5581 8280

www.gcit.edu.au

In Safe Hands Educators in Safety

Michael Pecic

Arana Hills

1300 794 644

www.insafehands.net.au

Inspire Education

Kirsten George

Brisbane

1800 506 509

www.inspireeducation.net.au

Practical Outcomes

Tracey Dear

Kelvin Grove

1300 799 610

www.practicaloutcomes.edu.au

Traxion Training

Vanessa Tanner

Gold Coast

1300 286 694

www.traxiontraining.com.au

Sasha Goodwin

Sasha Goodwin

Gold Coast

0411 751 442

GD Trivett & Associates Pty Ltd

Darren Trivett

Fortitude Valley

07 3216 1011

www.trivett.net.au

Herron Todd White

Simon Fox

Brisbane

07 3002 0900

www.htw.com.au

DET Team

Brisbane

1300 566 046

www.education.gov.au

Software / IT Support

Sports and Fitness Physi Kids Staff recruitment

Superannuation

Toys / Resources

Training Providers

Valuers

Others Department of Education and Training

EARLY EDITION > SUMMER 2017 29

Developmental resources to support every child’s educational journey.

Get inspired and browse over 10,000 products online at teaching.com.au

T 1800 251 497

F 1800 151 492

W www.teaching.com.au