SDN Children's Services Inc. Annual Report 2010

SDN Children’s Services Inc. Annual Report 2010
SDN Annual
Report 2010
1

Contents
About sdn Children’s Services 4
SDN’s mission, philosophy, values and vision 4
What we do and who we are 5
Our types of services 5
Where we work 6
Our purpose and why we’re different 7
Message from the President and the CEO 8
The environment we operate in 10
Our performance: The year in review 11
Our strategic plan 2010–12 11
Our centres 14
Our programs 16
Our history 18
Our people 22
Senior management team profiles 22
Organisational structure 24
Our culture 26
Professional development,
SDN scholarships and staff awards 28
Recognising the service of our staff 30
The voices of children and families in our centres 31
Our fundraising 34
Aboriginal Early Childhood Scholarships 34
Our donors 36
Corporate partners and government
funders 38
The voices of families in our programs 39
Board and governance 40
Sdn Board of Directors 40
Governance report 44
Our financial performance 45
Tables, graphs and glossary
Support for children with disabilities 11
Casuals used daily 11
Utilisation rates in our centres 13
Increase in donations 13
Our Key Performance Indicators 13
Workers compensation 26
Staff turnover 26
Board meeting attendance 42
Consolidated Revenue 45
Revenue 45
Expenditure 45
Government abbreviations and glossary of terms 46
SDN — celebrating 105 years
of educating and caring for
children
Leadership 32
Influencing policy and practice 32
Media coverage 33
2 SDN Annual Report 2010

SDN SDN Annual Annual Report Report 2010 2010 3

About SDN Children’s Services
Our mission
The continuing mission of SDN Children’s Services is to:
• provide high quality early childhood education and care
• strengthen families and communities
• address inequalities faced by children.
Delivering on our mission
We progressed our mission in 2009–10 by ensuring 3043
children in 23 centres benefited from an innovative early
education program. 787 families were strengthened in their
parenting role through 10 SDN family support programs. We
partnered with 1311 other providers of children’s services,
working with them to actively include children who are facing
a range of challenges in their lives, thus strengthening local
communities. We addressed inequalities faced by children
by providing early intervention services for 207 children with
disabilities, by working with Aboriginal communities to provide
training and employment support for 106 Aboriginal people
and by providing financial assistance (including scholarships)
to help 3410 children access early education opportunities.
Our values
In carrying out our mission we commit ourselves to being:
• trustworthy and reliable
• inclusive and respectful
• creative and innovative.
Our vision
We are working towards a future where:
• the promise and potential of every child is realised
• families and communities are strong and caring
SDN’s philosophy
All our people, services, programs and centres are committed to achieving our mission and
vision and to expressing our values. We are a community of learners where children and adults
in all their diversity are welcomed, respected and encouraged to contribute and grow.
We believe learning is influenced by social and cultural
contexts, and happens when children and adults trust
others and want to solve problems. We work to make our
environments and workplaces safe, trustworthy and inviting,
filled with interesting materials, resources and equipment
that encourage exploration and a sense of achievement for
both children and adults.
We support families and communities because children’s
lives and development are enhanced when their families and
community are strengthened. We celebrate the strengths of
every individual, group, family and community and believe
we all contribute to the wellbeing of the environments we
live in.
We encourage ongoing innovation by recording and
communicating the learning of children, adults, teams,
groups, families and communities, and by learning from the
experiences of others.
We work with other agencies and organisations, sharing
knowledge and skills, collaborating to influence public policy
and practices and partnering to better fulfil our mission and
vision.
Through our mainstream children’s education and care centres and our child and family support services
we aim to improve the education, development and wellbeing of the 7629 children we reach each year.
• children’s services are valued and well resourced.
4 SDN Annual Report 2010

What we do
SDN was established in 1905 and is one of Australia’s most
experienced and trusted leaders in children’s services, setting
a high standard for early childhood education and care. We
are a not-for-profit organisation with more than 100 years’
experience. We operate 23 Children’s Education and Care
Centres in NSW and the ACT, delivering high quality education
and care to around 3000 children each year through long day
care and preschool for children aged from birth to five years.
We also provide targeted support services for children,
families and the children’s services sector, including early
intervention, Aboriginal community programs and autism
and disability support services. In 2009–10 these helped
4586 children, 787 families and 1311 service providers. We
received more than $13 million from the Australian and NSW
Governments to operate these programs.
Who we are
At SDN we put children first and invest any surplus funds
into our quality services. We are passionate and committed,
inclusive and innovative. We have more than 500 skilled staff
from diverse backgrounds, with experience and qualifications
in education, child care, social work, social science, psychology,
speech pathology, management, business, accounting, human
services, economics, information technology, mathematics
and property management.
We care about the quality of the environment and contexts
in which children are raised. This is why we work in partnership
with families, governments and other organisations and
individuals to strengthen local communities and the children’s
services sector.
For contact details of our centres and programs,
please check our website www.sdn.org.au
SDN has seven types of
services
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Mainstream early childhood education and care
for children from birth to five years of age.
Early intervention and prevention services for
children facing challenges, and their families.
Multidisciplinary early childhood intervention
services for children with disabilities and
developmental delays.
Aboriginal training and employment support.
Subsidised fees and scholarship programs
to facilitate the enrolment of children with
additional needs into mainstream child care and
preschool.
Resources and support for other child care
providers to include children with disabilities,
and children who are marginalised or facing
challenges.
Family resource and support programs.
(See pages 14 to 17)
For contact details of our centres and
programs, please check our website www.sdn.
org.au
SDN Annual Report 2010 5

3
Where we work
SDN Centres
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Pyrmont
Ultimo
Paddington
Redfern
Surry Hills
Riverwood
hurst Regional
per Lachlan
ulburn / Mulwaree
T
obodalla
Northern Suburbs, Crows Nest
Linthorpe St, Newtown
Waterloo
Hurstville
Petersham
Woolloomooloo
Erskineville
Marrickville
Ngallia, Lidcombe
Mosman
Glebe
Milperra
(opening 2011)
SDN NSW Regional Centres
19
20
21
22
Bathurst
Crookwell
Goulburn
Batemans Bay
SDN ACT Centres
23
24
Barton
Belconnen
21
22
Penrith
18
19
20
Camden
23
Greater Sydney
Liverpool
Blacktown
Campbelltown
Fairfield
Baulkham Hills
Holroyd
Parramatta
Bankstown
18
6
Sutherland
Hornsby
Ku-ring-gai
Ryde
Auburn Canada
15 Bay
Willoughby
Lane
Cove
Warringah
Strathfield
Burwood
Leichhardt Woollahra
Ashfield 11 Sydney
Marrickville City Waverley
14 27 25
Canterbury
Hurstville 10
Kogarah
Hunters
Hill
Rockdale
Botany
Bay
Randwick
Pittwater
Manly
7
North 16
Sydney Mosman
NSW Regions
Bathurst Regional
Upper Lachlan
Goulburn / Mulwaree
ACT
Eurobodalla 19
SDN Programs
6
25
26
27
Pathways to School
20
24
23
Inner Sydney Area
Child Care Links at SDN Riverwood
Partnerships with Parents
Poets Corner Preschool Project
3
21
22
Pyrmont
1
PlayLinks, Community of Learners and Language Links
Child and Family Resource Centre
SCAN Inner West and South East Sydney Region
Aboriginal Early Literacy Project
Tracks in Learning
Aboriginal Playgroups
Inner and Eastern Sydney Interagency
Regional NSW and ACT
Sydney
City
12
Woolloomooloo
17
Glebe 5
2 Surry Hills
Ultimo
8
Newtown
4
Redfern
Paddington
3
13
Waterloo
9
Erskineville
26
Alexandria
ISAs
Helping Children with Autism. Penrith, Blacktown and Cumberland areas
(Holroyd, Parramatta and Auburn)
Inner Sydney Inclusion
Support Agency (ISA)
Cumberland / Blacktown ISA
and Early Learning Program
Northern Sydney ISA
Brighter Futures
Central Sydney
Inner West
Southern Sydney
Eurobodalla Shire

Our purpose
We aim to provide the highest standards of education
and care and a more inclusive children’s services sector.
In 1905 SDN opened the first formalised child care centre in
NSW for children under the age of three, to provide working
mothers with an affordable and safe place to entrust their
children. Over the past century the need for high quality,
affordable care has continued to grow. However, the nature of
child care is vastly different today, with a greater focus on early
childhood education. Our purpose is to provide high quality
early education and care that is affordable and accessible for
all children. We aim to lay the foundation for lifelong learning
to ensure that children are able to realise their potential
throughout their lives.
We work to ensure that the children’s services sector
is better equipped to include all children, especially
children with disabilities and developmental delays,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and
children from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds.
We have always had a particular concern for children who
are marginalised, and over the past 13 years have evolved
into a holistic children’s services organisation that provides
specialised support for children and families facing challenges.
Much of this work is now carried out by our new company,
SDN Child and Family Services Pty Ltd. Our aim is to ensure
that children with additional needs — such as autism, vision
impairment, speech delays and physical disabilities — have
access to the early education and support they require. We
work with more than 1300 child care providers to help them
become more inclusive of all children.
The SDN difference
Our model of integrated services
The SDN community is a network of integrated services that supports children and families and is connected by strong partnerships
with government, other like-minded organisations and patrons. As our model of integrated services shows, our three levels of
service delivery are connected — a child enters our mainstream Children’s Education and Care Centre and if that child or his or
her family has additional needs we offer a range of targeted programs, ranging from small support groups through to highly
specialised, individual support. Children and families who first come to us through a specialised service are gradually supported
to enrol in a mainstream centre.
Specialist
individual support
Children and families
are provided with specialist
services (eg speech therapy,
child psychology, case management) and
are gradually bridged into small group
and mainstream services.
Small facilitated groups
that model parent/child interaction strategies,
provide advice and information, and parent-to-parent support.
Examples:
Stay and Play sessions
Parenting groups
Cooking on a budget
PlayLinks
Mainstream education and learning for children and adults
Children’s education and care centres, toy libraries and playgroups.
Opportunities to participate in the community life of these services.
Children and families enrol in these services and are bridged into increasing levels of support if required.
SDN Annual Report 2010 7

Message from the President and the CEO
SDN is setting the standard for early childhood education and care, and operates well above government requirements
‘
2010 is the 75 th anniversary of the graduation of the first
seven trainees from the original SDN Nursery School Training
Centre (as it was then called). This milestone reminds us of the
significant role SDN has played in ensuring that education as
well as quality care is provided for our community’s youngest
children. From 1932 to 1974, 786 predominantly young women
were trained in Nursery School methods and approaches at our
College. (See page 18 for more about the College.)
This commitment to the learning and education of adults
who will work with children, as well as to the learning and
education of the children themselves, is still a strong element
of SDN’s culture and character. The motto of the College from
1946, ‘For the little ones, the best’, continues to inspire us as we
commit as many resources as possible to upgrading buildings
and playgrounds and providing the best quality staff possible.
For many decades, the Executive Committee (as the
Board was then known) made regular visits to the Branch
Committees who ran the centres. This tradition continues
today, with Directors keeping in touch with the inspiring dayto-day
realities of our business by visiting each centre and
program annually.
On a recent visit to a Sydney centre, I was told how the fouryear-old
children’s passion for art had been stimulated by a visit
to the Art Gallery of NSW to see an exhibition of abstract art. The
children had taken with them their drawing books to record their
impressions. One little girl in particular had understood absolutely
what abstract art was: her drawings were extraordinary, leaping
off the page and staying in my mind for ages. Such visits are so
rewarding. Susan Salter
‘
Leadership
For 50 years SDN’s teachers’ college shaped early childhood
teaching; today, SDN is still helping define our sector with
‘
considerable thought and practice leadership. For example, our
Strategic Plan for 2010–2012, Realising the Potential of Children,
has as one of its goals ‘being known, recognised and listened
to as leaders in the sectors in which we operate’. During this
past year senior management participated in the Federal
Government’s discussions that are shaping the new Early Years
Learning Framework — a practice guide for Australia-wide early
learning and child care.
I was delighted that the Department of Prime Minister and
Cabinet and ARACY (the Australian Research Alliance for
Children and Youth) invited me to address a dinner hosted by
the Governor-General at Government House, Canberra, on some
of SDN’s initiatives in reaching out to children facing challenges.
Ginie Udy
This national advocacy also helps us progress another
aspect of our mission, that is to address inequalities that
children face by getting issues of marginalisation included in
national policy and practice debates.
Leadership has been critical to all our achievements, and
as we reflect on SDN’s history even more than usual this past
year, we are struck again by the fact that it is as much a
story of women’s histories as anything else. Our past leaders
displayed the key values we still consider important today:
being trustworthy, reliable, inclusive, respectful, creative and
innovative. It is no surprise that we continue to attract strong,
competent and caring women to leadership roles. Profiles of
our Senior Management Team are on pages 22 to 23.
Growth
The photo opposite was taken at our Glebe Children’s
Education and Care Centre while we celebrated the first
anniversary of SDN assuming management. We were
‘
fortunate that The Hon Verity Firth MP, NSW Minister for
Education and Training and our local Member, could join
us. SDN Glebe epitomises the importance we place on
developing links with the communities in which we operate,
employing talented early childhood teachers and educators,
and integrating the different components of our service.
With the opening of our newest child care centre in
Canberra, our strategy of developing more child care hubs is
taking shape. Acacia, in the Attorney-General’s new building
in Barton, joins Bluebell in Belconnen, Lady McKell at
Goulburn and our preschool at Crookwell to offer SDN’s model
of long day care, coupled with university trained teachers.
In NSW, we successfully applied for a Federal Government
grant of $1.6 million to build a new child care centre at
Milperra in Western Sydney. Work is proceeding quickly, with
an expected opening date in early calendar 2011.
We are very gratified to see we are on track with our goal
of growing from areas where we already have a presence.
Business outlook
The business outlook for SDN is positive. We have a
solid financial base and a balanced risk exposure. Our
new Enterprise Agreement and extensive professional
development have strengthened our position as an Employer
of Choice. There is a strong demand for our work, as shown
by the historically high attendance rates at our centres. The
State and Federal Governments are increasingly looking to
fund the kind of service delivery models we have developed.
We have been consistently successful in about 50% of our
tender applications and are confident in our capacity to meet
demand and grow. We are also confident that our current
goals of providing more scholarships for young Aboriginal
children, employing more Aboriginal staff and working
8 SDN Annual Report 2010

Ginie Udy, Susan Salter, the Hon Verity Firth MP, NSW Minister for Education
and Training, and SDN Glebe Centre Director Laura Yench at the first birthday
celebration of SDN Glebe
more closely with Aboriginal communities will be achieved
through the creation of an Aboriginal Unit and the increased
public and private support we are attracting for this work.
Board changes
The Governance report on page 44 outlines some of the
changes the Board has initiated this year. With the steady
growth of the organisation and our involvement in programs
with a greater risk profile, we are mindful of the need to stay
focused on governance and compliance — ultimately for the
benefit of the children whose wellbeing we foster.
This year we sadly said farewell to Directors Ann Mitchell,
Genevieve (Gennie) Kirton and Kerry Bennett. All gave
gladly of their time, energy and knowledge over many years
to the governance of SDN. While Ann and Gennie joined
the SDN Board in 1988 and 1989 respectively, both were on
Branch Committees before that. Gennie was also President
from 1999 to 2002. Kerry brought us his legal expertise, was
instrumental in the formation of our subsidiary company and
led the work on our new Constitution. Their good humour,
strong work ethic and wise counsel were treasured.
We are fortunate to have Kirsty Albert and Trevor
Robinson join the Board this year. Both bring new energy,
enthusiasm and specific skills — and in Kirsty’s case a strong
family history with SDN.
Thank you
It is significant to remember that we regard SDN as a
community of learners which includes our members, the
families and children we work with, our funders — corporate,
government and private — and other organisations and
institutions with whom we collaborate and to which we
belong.
It is the strength of this collective community that we draw
upon to make any advances: so thank you all.
Finally we would both like to extend a very big thank you
to all the dedicated and committed staff members of SDN.
Without you, none of the achievements discussed in this
report would have been possible.
Susan Salter, President
Ginie Udy, Chief Executive Officer
‘
I extend to Ginie Udy the Board’s great appreciation and thanks
for continuing to steer the organisation with such confidence,
skill, foresight and dedication. I would also like to thank all the
Directors for their time and valuable contributions to discussion
and committee work, and especially Susan Braham and Darren
Mitchell for their counsel.
Susan Salter
‘
Our President, Susan Salter, and the SDN Board provide immense
support and guidance to me, and to the whole organisation. They
exemplify the special SDN culture that marries professionalism
with warm interest and care, contributing to a strong and
resilient organisation.
Ginie Udy
‘
‘
SDN Annual Report 2010 9

The environment we operate in
Legislation
Legislation forms the legal basis of all our undertakings. As we
operate in three legal jurisdictions (national, NSW and ACT),
compliance with this wide range of legal requirements adds
to organisational cost. Yet compliance also provides stability
for staff, an assurance of quality and reliability for our clients,
and demonstrates professionalism and competence to our
partners and funders. Our Risk Management Plan incorporates
measures to safely navigate the legal environment in which
we operate. SDN is required to comply with 43 pieces of
legislation. The legislation and regulations specific to our
operations include:
National
• Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Australian and New Zealand Standards: Playground
Surfacing
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand Food Safety
Standards
• Child Care Benefit (Eligibility of Child Care Services
For Approval And Continued Approval) Amendment
Determination 2001
NSW
• Children and Young Persons (Care And Protection) Act 1998
• Children’s Services Regulation 2004
• Disability Services Act 1993
• Commission for Children And Young People Act 1998
• Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 1998
ACT
• Children and Young People Act 2008
• Child Care Services Standards 2009
SDN is represented on major sector bodies and
committees, including:
• Association of Major Community Organisations (AMCO)
• Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth (ARACY)
• Australian Community Children’s Services
• NSW Family Services Board
• Institute of Early Childhood Advisory Board, Macquarie
University
• Management Committee for the Children and Families
Research Centre, Macquarie University
• National Quality Framework NSW Reference Group
• Early Childhood Australia, (NSW Branch Executive)
• Early Childhood Intervention Australia (NSW Branch)
• Early Childhood Professional Experience Council of NSW
• NSW Children’s Services Forum
• Forum of Non Government Agencies
• National Investment for the Early Years (NSW Branch)
Our stakeholders
At SDN, our many stakeholders include our children, families,
children’s services providers, Board, staff, government, donors,
members, students, suppliers, professional advisors, media
and the broader community. We encourage professional and
consultative relationships with our stakeholders. We regularly
communicate with stakeholders and look for ways to involve
them in our activities.
Demand for early education and care
More children have been using formal child care services
in recent years. This has been driven by the increasing rate
of female participation in the workforce and higher family
incomes. We expect this trend to continue, aided by the
Australian Government’s increase in the non means tested
Child Care Rebate from 30 percent to 50 percent for families’
out-of-pocket child care costs. Data from the Longitudinal
Study of Australian Children show that those who have
been able to afford formal long day care choose this as their
preferred ‘regular non parental care’ option.
• More than 870 000 Australian children used child care
in the September quarter 2009, an increase of 8 percent
compared with 2005.*
• The number of long day care services increased by 21
percent from the September quarter 2005 to 2009. There
are now 5758 long day care services across Australia.*
• Out-of-pocket child care costs to families decreased from
2004 to 2009 as a result of higher government subsidies.*
‘
Child care is now seen as both a mechanism to support labour
force participation and as an important form of early learning
and education. Consequently, there is now a greater focus on the
quality and experiences that children have within education and
care settings. *
‘
* State of Child Care in Australia, 2010, Office of Early Childhood
Education and Child Care
Prevention and early intervention
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely
to develop learning and behaviour problems, and this risk
increases as the children grow older. A 2005 Community
Services Literature Review on Prevention and Early Intervention
reported that high quality early childhood education had the
strongest evidence (compared with other strategies) of being
an effective prevention and early intervention strategy for
young children at risk of entering the child protection system.
SDN carries a significant proportion of the responsibility for
prevention and early intervention services in NSW, and we
are continuing to build our expertise and profile in this area.
10 SDN Annual Report 2010

Our performance: The year in review
Our strategic plan 2010–12
This year we developed a new strategic plan — Realising the
Promise of Childhood — focusing on our role of providing high
quality early education and care to help children realise their
potential in the most formative years, and supporting families
and children facing challenges.
For the next three years, inspired by the Council of Australian
Governments’ (COAG) Early Years Learning Framework, we
renew our commitment to ensuring that children can:
• be, and feel safe
• belong to a community
• learn
• have opportunities to be listened to
• become recognised and respected as contributing
members of their communities.
In the ripple effect that flows outwards, we embrace families
and communities; however, children are always at the
heart of everything we do. The following pages detail our
achievements and performance over the past year measured
against our four strategic goals.
Our achievements
For children
• 7629 children in total were supported through our
centres and targeted programs in 2009–10
• 3043 children received high quality education and care in
our centres and 4586 were helped through our programs
• Of this, 3410 children who face challenges and barriers
were supported to enrol in mainstream services
• 559 Aboriginal children have benefited from SDN’s
work, including 11 children through privately funded
Aboriginal Early Childhood Scholarships (see page 34)
• 207 children with disabilities or developmental delays
were directly assisted through our programs.
250
Number of children with a disability to whom we have
provided direct services
200
Goal 1 Making a demonstrated positive
difference for the children, families, communities
and children’s services with whom we work
For families
• 787 families, many facing challenges, were strengthened
through our 16 programs. We have met ongoing demand
and need for high quality care in our centres as utilisation
has continued to rise. In the first year of this current
Strategic Plan we had a goal of achieving 90% of licence,
and exceeded this by achieving a yearly average of 91%.
For other children’s services providers
• 1311 individual children’s services providers received
advice, resources and support from the Child and Family
Services arm of our organisation.
For continuity of care
We set ourselves the goal of averaging a total of 10 casuals
employed per day across our 23 centres as we know that the
fewer casuals employed, the greater the continuity for children.
We thank our casual staff members for their commitment to
helping us achieve this goal by being available as consistently
as possible, and in the same centres, so that we can cement
relationships with children, other staff and families.
Casuals used daily (on average) The average number of casuals
25
has more than halved over the past four years, to 9.86 in 2009–10.
20
150
15
100
10
5
0
2006−07 2007−08 2008−09 2009−10
0
2006−07 2007−08 2008−09 2009−10
SDN Annual Report 2010 11

Goal 2 Being known, recognised and
listened to as leaders in the sectors in which we
operate
Our achievements
• Our CEO was invited to present at several forums,
including on our integrated service model and inclusive
practices at a dinner at Government House in September
2009, which was hosted by the Governor-General and
organised by the Australian Research Alliance for Children
and Youth and the Department of Prime Minister and
Cabinet.
• Our CEO was invited to be a panellist at the Australian
Government Social Inclusion Conference in January 2010.
• SDN staff gave presentations at 21 sector conferences
and universities.
• Crossing Borders, SDN’s end of year seminar, was
attended by more than 70 staff, stakeholders and senior
government representatives.
• We have directly lobbied and been asked to brief
both federal and state government ministers on how
to achieve more affordable access to early childhood
education and care for disadvantaged children, and
higher standards of care.
• We provided government with advice on the
implementation of new early childhood quality standards
through membership of the NSW National Quality
Framework Reference Group.
• SDN Ultimo was one of 21 centres across Australia to
participate in the first trial testing the workability of the
new National Quality Standards.
• SDN was invited to help write and assess COAG’s The
Early Years Learning Framework.
A detailed list of the conferences, submissions, presentations,
debates and events to which SDN contributed are listed on
page 32.
Goal 3 Being an employer of choice
Our achievements
519 permanent and casual staff, including 10 Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander staff, chose to work for SDN in 2009–10,
in part due to the:
• 4219 internal hours of training and professional
development we provided
• 14 continuing education scholarships worth $14 500 we
awarded
• 600 hours of paid study leave we provided to 21 staff
members.
In October 2009 we contracted an external company to
conduct an Employee Survey. Our staff rated SDN highest on
the following three aspects:
• Our commitment to cultural diversity (our rating on this
element set a new benchmark for the 200 Australian
companies that Measured Insights surveys annually)
• Our reputation in the children’s services sector
• Knowing what is expected of them in their role
• Another important result was that 84% of our staff would
recommend SDN as an employer to others.
• In 2009–10 our staff turnover rate was 23.4% — lower
than our target of 24%
• In 2009–10 our staff retention rate was 81.67% — above
our target of 80%.
12 SDN Annual Report 2010

Goal 4 Being financially strong
Our achievements
Utilisation
Demand for places in our centres is the highest it’s been
in recent history, at 91% against our total licensed places.
This means that our centres are operating at maximum
capacity. In addition to the strong indicator of quality that
this figure represents, it also translates into strong financial
performance as our 23 Children’s Education and Care Centres
are responsible for two-thirds of organisational revenue. The
graph below shows our utilisation has increased from 86% to
91% over the past four years.
100% Average rate of utilisation in our centres against licence
Our occupancy rate has increased by 5% since 2006–07 to 91%.
95%
90%
85%
80%
0
2006−07 2007−08 2008−09 2009−10
KPI Target Actual Performance
Utilisation 90% 91% against
licence
Better
Casuals used daily 10 9.86 Better
Sick leave (%
of total hours
worked)
2 2.83% Worse
Staff turnover 24% 23.4% Better
Staff retention 80% 81.67% Better
Continuing expansion
We opened a new state-of-the-art 59-place centre in the
Attorney-General’s Department in Barton, ACT. In March, the
Australian Government awarded SDN $1.6 million towards
the building costs of a new Children’s Education and Care
Centre in Milperra, to offer long day care for 60 children
aged under six. The centre will be built on the grounds of the
Milperra Public School and will open in 2011.
‘
We’re looking forward to seeing great results for children and
families in the Milperra area in partnership with SDN Children’s
Services.
‘
Kate Ellis, then Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and
Youth
Private donations have increased by more than 50% since
$100 000
2006–07
$80 000
Our Key Performance Indicators in 2009–10
New and renewed government contracts
The NSW Government awarded SDN grants to run two
new programs: the Aboriginal Early Literacy Project and
Pathways to School, worth $440 000 in total.
All renewable contracts with government for service
delivery were re-offered to us for future terms.
$60 000
$40 000
$20 000
0
2006−07 2007−08 2008−09 2009−10
SDN SDN Annual Annual Report Report 2010 2010 13

Our centres
Mainstream early childhood education and care for
children from birth to five years of age
SDN has long had a reputation as a leader in early childhood
education. Each Children’s Education and Care Centre
is led by an Early Childhood Centre Director and an Early
Childhood Teacher who are both university qualified, and
supported by an educative team of highly experienced staff
members. Individual centres are strengthened by the larger
SDN community which provides guidance, professional
learning opportunities for staff and management assistance.
SDN early childhood education
• We are one of the few providers to employ universityqualified
teachers in all of our centres.
• We run highly-regarded educational programs in a
long day care setting based on the Early Years Learning
Framework (EYLF), the new national early education
standard produced by the federal and state governments.
• SDN also has its own Curriculum Principles, based
on a range of contemporary early childhood research
perspectives and philosophies.
Higher standards of care
• SDN has operated a 1:4 staff-to-child ratio for children
from birth to two years — above government regulations
— for many years.
• SDN supports all children as competent learners from
birth.
• We are inclusive and respectful and include children from
all backgrounds and all abilities.
Value for families
• We pride ourselves on delivering excellent services at a
competitive price.
• As a not-for-profit organisation we keep fees as low as
possible. Comparative analysis with neighbouring centres
shows that our fees are generally lower. Any surplus from
fees is invested into the quality of our services.
‘
We value children and families by delivering higher standards of
education and care than required. We also ensure our staff have
opportunities to reflect and create new understandings and then
share their knowledge. We are proud of our physical environments
and have put a lot of time into creating uncluttered and calm
environments for children.
Rebecca Watson, Director, Early Childhood Education
‘
14 SDN Annual Report 2010

Encouraging a sense of community: Helping Haiti
‘
Following the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, people around the world pledged funds in order to help. The
children at SDN Marrickville also wanted to help. The children in the Bilbies room (four year olds) and educators discussed the
problems the people of Haiti faced as a result of the earthquake and decided that the best way to help was to raise money for
essentials such as food and water. The Bilbies wrote a letter to the Red Cross and included a donation of $525. They explained that
the money was for ‘toys, chocolate, food, water and houses’. The staff and children signed the letter and went on an excursion to
post it with the donation. They talked about how to ask the Post Office staff for a stamp and money order. The children proudly
posted their letter and donation. Belinda Filipe Afonso, Early Childhood Educator, sdn Marrickville
‘
New centre at the heart of the nsw baby boom
One of our newest centres, SDN Glebe, is helping meet the
need for early education and care in an area of high demand.
At the first anniversary celebration in May, the Hon Verity Firth
MP, NSW Minister for Education and Member for Balmain,
confirmed that the Inner West had the highest birthrate in
NSW. SDN has five centres in the Inner West: Petersham,
Newtown, Erskineville, Marrickville and Glebe.
Protecting the safety of our children
SDN has been campaigning for 40km/h speed zones to be
introduced around child care centres and preschools to help
ensure the roads are safer for young children. In June 2010
the NSW Government announced that it would consider
introducing 40km/h speed zones on a case-by-case basis.
Encountering, exploring and engaging with the Early
Years Learning Framework
Dr Miriam Giugni, SDN’s Early Childhood Research and
Learning Advisor, has been leading a practitioner research
project, with several SDN centre directors as co-investigators,
entitled Encountering, Exploring and Engaging with the Early
Years Learning Framework.
This project has been designed to support critical
engagement with, and reflection on the EYLF. As our centre
directors embark on new pathways in an ever-changing
regulatory landscape, this project is exposing directors to new
theories they can use to articulate their experiences of change
leadership. Many changes in practice are emerging and being
documented as staff re-consider and engage with concepts
of equity, cultural diversity, documentation and community
relationships, all within the overall framework of the EYLF.
Standing: Michelle Richardson, Anna Whitty, Fran Bastion, Dr Miriam
Giugni, Michelle Lane and Megan Ball.
Seated: Rebecca Watson (Director) and Nicole Jones
We are hoping that a major outcome of the project will be
to offer insights into the experience of ‘becoming a teacher
researcher’.
We are expecting that the findings of this research will add
significantly to the currently rather scant body of documented
teacher research in the early childhood education sector, both
nationally and internationally.
SDN employs an Early Childhood Advisory Team of seven highly experienced, university-qualified early childhood teachers
who lead, manage and advise SDN’s 23 Centre Directors and their educative teams. The Advisors support the ongoing
development of SDN’s early childhood curriculum and practice, and the operation of our Children’s Education and Care
Centres. This level of support has strengthened SDN’s reputation as a leader in early childhood education. A unique feature
of the Advisory Team is the inclusion of an Early Childhood Research and Learning Advisor who is facilitating professional
learning by conducting teacher research.
SDN Annual Report 2010 15

Our programs
In 2009 –10 SDN Child and Family Services reached and supported 4586 children, 787 families and 1311 children’s services
Addressing growing mental health issues
SDN is one of 14 lead agencies delivering the Brighter Futures
program funded by Community Services (formerly DoCS), with
the third largest geographic coverage of service behind the
Benevolent Society and Mission Australia. The report by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Child protection
Australia 2008–09 showed that the number of substantiations
of child protection notifications is increasing nationally and
is highest in NSW. These substantiations are mostly due to
emotional abuse and neglect and reflect the decline in the
mental health status of the general population, as does the
growth of families with mental health issues being accepted
into our Brighter Futures program. In response, SDN Brighter
Futures, in collaboration with St George Mental Health Services,
developed and delivered an educational training course on the
impact of parental mental health on children. The course ran in
three locations across Sydney and was attended by more than
70 people including social workers, early childhood educators
and counsellors.
Two new programs
In June 2010 the NSW Government awarded SDN $365 000
to develop and deliver a new literacy program for Aboriginal
children. The Aboriginal Early Literacy Project will focus on
improving the literacy skills of children under the age of five,
and those of their parents, in the Inner West, Northern and
South-East Sydney. We will work with Aboriginal communities
to develop culturally appropriate literacy resources to
empower parents to support their children.
SDN was also awarded a $75 000 grant from the NSW
SDN establishes an Aboriginal Unit
As a result of identifying directions in which our services could move to further support Aboriginal children, their families
and communities we have established an Aboriginal Unit. The new unit will be responsible for the management and
delivery of all Aboriginal programs, including Tracks in Learning, Aboriginal Early Childhood Scholarships, Aboriginal
Playgroups and the Aboriginal Early Literacy Project. Many of our other programs (SCAN, ISA, Partnership with Parents,
Poets Corner) work with Aboriginal families, children and communities. The six-member Unit will provide leadership and
mentoring for our Aboriginal staff, support and advice to staff working with Aboriginal families and further strengthen
our relationships with Aboriginal communities. Deb Mann (see page 23) is the founding Director of the Aboriginal Unit
and Sonya Pearce (see page 43) is the founding Chair of the Unit’s Reference Group.
Government to deliver the Pathways to School program in
2010–11. The aim of the program is to make early childhood
centres more accessible to children from culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds so they have the opportunity
of an early education prior to starting school. The program
will build partnerships between early childhood providers and
provide cultural competency training.
A snapshot of our support programs
Government funding bodies are abbreviated below. See page
46 for the full names. Funding is for 2009–10.
Early intervention and prevention services for children
facing challenges, and their families
Brighter Futures helps families who are encountering
problems that affect their ability to care for their children,
including domestic violence, mental health and drug and
alcohol problems. Brighter Futures provides case management,
parenting courses, home visits and subsidised enrolment
in child care and preschool. Funding of $4 609 994 from
Community Services.
Partnerships with Parents supports marginalised families who
rarely seek help, providing family case work and group sessions
on parenting skills. Funding of $74 000 from FaHCSIA.
Poets Corner Preschool Project is an education and support
program to improve parenting skills for families with children
at the Poets Corner Preschool in Redfern. Funding of $177 104
from Community Services.
Multidisciplinary early childhood intervention services
for children with disabilities and developmental delays
Helping Children with Autism Package provides services
for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, including
behaviour, developmental and social learning interventions
provided by speech pathologists, occupational therapists and
psychologists. Funding of $383 214 from FaHCSIA.
‘
It is important to bring together a range of professionals in children’s services to share their experiences, concerns and methods to support the children
of parents with a mental illness. Luba Torban, SDN Manager of Children’s Services within the Brighter Futures program
‘
16 SDN Annual Report 2010

Early Learning Program is for children from birth to five years
with a diagnosed disability, developmental delay or where
there are concerns about a developmental delay. Funding of
$234 849 from ADHC and $87 730 from DET.
Playlinks is a mobile play group for families with children aged
from birth to six years with a disability. Funding of $166 170
from Families NSW.
Community of Learners is a child development program
joining children with disabilities or development delays aged
from birth to five years and their families with specialists and
early childhood education professionals. Funding of $211 599
from ADHC.
Language Links is a free, home-based early intervention
program to develop language skills for children up to
three years with speech delays. Funding of $105 799 from
ADHC.
Aboriginal training and employment support
Tracks in Learning is an SDN initiative to support Aboriginal
women and their families to engage in learning opportunities
(including early childhood education at TAFE and adult
education and training) that lead to employment. Funding of
$145 250 from FaHCSIA.
‘
We’ve been there to help when families are being evicted from
their home, when there’s been a death in the family, or a child
is born with a disability, or when there’s been family violence.
It can make such a difference when someone can be by your
side at these times.
‘
Megan Turner, Family Resource Worker
Aboriginal Playgroups are three privately funded play groups
we run for families with young children in Glebe, Marrickville
and Redfern for 2–3 hours per week during school time.
Funded by SDN donors.
Subsidised fees and scholarship programs to facilitate
the enrolment of children with additional needs into
mainstream child care and preschool
Fees are subsidised through several of our programs,
including Brighter Futures, Inclusion Support Agencies,
SCAN, Child Care Links, Poets Corner Preschool Project, and
Tracks in Learning. SDN also offers Aboriginal Early Childhood
Scholarships which are funded through private donations (see
page 34).
Resources and support for other child care providers to
include children with a disability, and children who are
marginalised or facing challenges
Inclusion Support Agencies work with other child care
providers to help them be inclusive of all children. Funding of
$2 722 058 from DEEWR.
Supporting Children with Additional Needs provides
consultancy, cultural education and funding to support the
access and inclusion of children with additional needs in
children’s services. Funding of $1 712 888 from Community
Services.
Inner and Eastern Sydney Interagency runs a network
of children’s services organisations and helps to build their
capacity to support families and children. Funding of $63 479
from Families NSW.
Family resource and support programs
Child and Family Resource Centre, Granville is a centre
offering a range of services for children from birth to eight
years including a toy library, Stay and Play sessions, parenting
advice, information and support. Funding of $74 000 from
FaHCSIA and Community Services.
Child Care Links strengthens community networks and
helps parents with young children link up with local support
services. Funding of $100 356 from FaHCSIA.
‘
SDN Inclusion Support Agencies have responded to more than
2000 requests for support from child care services to increase
their capacity to be inclusive of all children. Our teams are highly
skilled and have made a significant contribution to the work of
hundreds of child care services in Sydney.
Catherine Anderson, Julie Pearson and Tracy Chu, SDN’s Inclusion
Support Agency Managers
‘
Many families face one challenge after another and they
never know what’s around the corner. Through Stay and
Play and the Toy Library at the SDN Child and Family
Resource Centre, we’ve built relationships with families and
it’s rewarding to see the children progress.
Tina Robinson, operations coordinator
‘
‘
‘
SDN Annual Report 2010 17

Our history
To preserve family life, to educate mothers in child health and to save babies from death and becoming state wards.
‘The charter written by the founders of SDN
‘
Our proud history
One hundred years ago there were very few options for child
care. Many working mothers were forced to leave young children
either with relatives or older siblings or unattended. To reduce
the risk of harm, some mothers locked children in the house,
whilst others locked them out. The 1904 Royal Commission on
the Decline of the Birth-Rate and on the Mortality of Infants
in NSW found that approximately one in ten children did not
survive infancy and that more than 50 percent of these deaths
occurred in the first three months of life.
In response to the Royal Commission and spurred on by the
exclusion of children under three years of age from Kindergarten
Union centres, a group of young women established the
Sydney Crèche Association and opened SDN’s first centre in
Woolloomooloo. It was the first formal child care service to
open in NSW specifically for working mothers of children aged
under three years of age, and was well patronised.
For a modest fee of threepence a day, working women
now had a safe place to entrust their children from
7:00am to 6:30pm. There was little recognition of the word
crèche and within a few months of opening our name was
changed to The Sydney Day Nursery Association. The health
of children was a major concern: before the 1930s, nurseries
were run by matrons and supported by nurses.
The fees received were not enough to run the nursery, and
in the absence of any government support the Association
relied heavily on fundraising. This was the largest source of
income until World War I.
Between 1905 and 1930 SDN expanded to 11 centres. The
history of SDN during the Great Depression is testimony to
the determination and ingenuity of the Association’s leaders.
These women were incredibly resourceful and managed
not only to keep the nurseries afloat, but to pioneer early
education in the midst of the Great Depression. When SDN
was in serious financial trouble and even as the Executive
Committee was considering closing at least one centre, they
were taking steps towards training and appointing teachers
in the nurseries. At the time, such a decision must have
been viewed as reckless; in retrospect it was courageous and
visionary.
At the forefront of early childhood
education
SDN has long been at the forefront of early childhood education.
In the 1930s SDN was the first to combine a preschool program
with long day care by training and employing qualified early
childhood teachers in the nurseries.
In 1931 the Sydney Day Nursery and Nursery Schools
Association established the first training centre for nursery
school teachers in NSW, at Woolloomooloo Nursery. The
establishment of the Nursery School Training Centre (later
Training College then Teachers’ College) responded to an
urgent need for ‘properly trained teachers’ to work in the
newly founded nursery schools.
According to an early prospectus (circa 1939), the purpose
of the Nursery School Training College was:
to offer to the students a professional training in educational
principles and modern methods of teaching children ranging
in age from 18 months to 6 years. Although the training is a
broad and cultural one, special emphasis is laid on the scientific
study of the needs and development of young children.
Initially a two-year course, the training was expanded in
1942 to a three-year diploma course. From its earliest days,
the training was holistic. Subjects taught were scientific,
artistic, and aimed at supporting parenting. They included
Psychology, Hygiene, Child Welfare, Eurhythmics, Infant
Welfare and Mental Health, and Child Development.
Many of the principles on which the Nursery School
Training Centre was founded resonate soundly with SDN’s
contemporary practices. Just as our forebears did, we recognise
the importance of understanding the multiple individual,
familial, social, cultural and political factors that affect young
children’s lives, and we continue to advocate strenuously for
‘properly trained teachers’ in early childhood settings.
Many of the core values on which SDN was built remain
relevant to this day. SDN remains true to the Association’s
initial mission: we continue to operate as a not-for-profit
18 SDN Annual Report 2010

organisation, putting children first and returning any surplus
into the quality of our services; we uphold our commitment
to provide high quality education and childcare, and
services for children and families; we continue to advocate
for children’s right to access early childhood education and
care; and we maintain our commitment to protect children
and support families.
SDN is one of only a few community-based family
organisations that have been operating in Australia for more
than 100 years. SDN has survived many challenges, including
two world wars and the Great Depression, and grown into one
of Australia’s most respected children’s services organisations.
Overleaf is a snapshot of our expansion and key organisational
changes over the years.
Since the Woolloomoloo centre opened its doors
in 1905, many hundreds of thousands of young
children have been cared for and educated at SDN
centres. The formation of the Sydney Day Nursery
Association is one of the most significant stages in
the history of early childhood education and care
in NSW. It marks the beginning of formalised early
childhood services that educate and care for children
from birth to school age.
The aim of the foremothers of SDN was to present their new organisation not as a ‘cold, remote charity‘ but as an organisation ‘started by
fellow women, who fully realise the difficulties that beset the paths of working mothers’.
Ethel Ranken, Honorary Secretary, Sydney Day Nursery Association, Woolloomooloo Nursery Annual Report 1917–18
SDN Annual Report 2010 19

SDN name changes over the years
1905 The Sydney Crèche Association
1906 The Sydney Day Nursery Association
1931 The Sydney Day Nursery and Nursery Schools
Association
1999 SDN Children’s Services Incorporated
2008 SDN set up subsidiary SDN Child and Family Services
2010 SDN Children’s Services
What’s in a name?
The name change to SDN Children’s Services Incorporated
in 1999 reflected the expansion of SDN beyond Sydney into
regional NSW and the ACT. It also captures our progression
from centre-based early childhood education and care into
child and family support services including early intervention,
Aboriginal community programs, and autism and disability
support services.
SDN Teachers’ College name changes
1931 Nursery School Training Centre, Woolloomooloo
1941 Nursery School Training College, Linthorpe Street,
Newtown
1945 Nursery School Training College, Burren Street,
Newtown
1967 Nursery School Teachers’ College, Burren Street,
Newtown
As a result of major national educational reforms, SDN
relinquished control of the College to the Commonwealth in
1975. In 1982 the College was amalgamated with the Sydney
Kindergarten Teachers’ College to become the Institute of
Early Childhood (IEC), which moved to Macquarie University
in 1994 and continues to provide early childhood teacher
education. SDN’s CEO, Ginie Udy, was previously a lecturer
at Macquarie University and has been a Member of the IEC
Advisory Board at Macquarie University since 2006.
Opening of SDN centres over the past 105 years
1905 Woolloomooloo
1908 Darlington (closed 1913)
1913 Forest Lodge (closed 2007)
1916 Chippendale (closed 1918)
1918 Surry Hills
1924 Paddington
1926 Northern Suburbs
1929 Linthorpe Street, Newtown
1937 Erskineville
1938 Redfern
1943 Kingsford (closed 1955); Katoomba (closed 1963)
1943 Tahmoor (holiday home: closed 1955)
1944 Mosman; Marrickville
1946 Waverley (closed 1977)
1947 Herne Bay (closed 1973 and re-opened as Riverwood in
1974)
Invasion threat leads to evacuation of young children
After the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbour, plans for the evacuation of children from Sydney to safer
locations began to take place, including many of SDN’s 600 children to safer ‘country’ areas.
Evacuation Committees were established and the SDN Nursery School Training College ran
courses in evacuation and emergency procedures. Identification tags were made for each child and
a packed bag sat ready at the door.
A school holiday camp in Tahmoor, in the Southern Highlands, was identified as one safe haven
and in February 1942, children and teachers were evacuated there by train. It was extremely difficult
caring for a group of very young children away from their families in an ill-equipped, communal
environment with few provisions, inadequate medical support and limited communication.
Joan Fry, a teacher who accompanied the children recalled that, ‘Sixteen children went down
with measles in one fell swoop. We rang the doctor in Picton. There was no petrol. He couldn’t
come out. We couldn’t get a nurse. We sent 10 children home. Two of the children developed
pneumonia so for three days the teachers sat on a mattress in front of the fire eating oranges
because the children kept crying and waking up. And I’ll never forget the smell of measles, ever.’
The teachers maintained a steely exterior in miserable conditions but the minute the fear of
invasion subsided, the children and staff headed home. It is a measure of the panic that gripped
the population that preschool children were separated from their families for an indefinite
period.
20 SDN Annual Report 2010

1951 Bathurst; Double Bay (closed 1954)
1951 St Peters (closed 1981)
1954 Lady McKell, Goulburn
1957 Melanie Alexander, Newtown (closed 2006)
1974 Riverwood
1975 Vera Lever, Hillsdale; Dorothy Elphick, Mascot
(both closed 1990)
1976 Poets Corner, Redfern (closed 1980)
1983 Lois Barker, Waterloo
1993 Pyrmont
1996 North Parramatta (closed 2005); Bluebell, ACT
1997 Hurstville; Ngallia, Lidcombe
1999 Batemans Bay
2002 Ultimo; Petersham; Crookwell
2009 Glebe; Acacia, Barton (ACT)
2011 Milperra (new centre to open)
SDN Woolloomooloo — the beginning of formal care in NSW
SDN Woolloomooloo has a unique place in history as the first formalised nursery for infants and toddlers in
NSW. Here is a snapshot of the centre’s fascinating story.
1905 SDN’s first nursery was established at 126 Dowling
Street, Woolloomooloo, just a stone’s throw from our
current location. It was the first nursery to open in NSW
for infants and toddlers.
1918–19 During the Spanish Flu pandemic at the end of
World War I SDN Woolloomooloo endeavoured to continue
to operate. Services were suspended briefly so the centre
could operate as a food depot for the local area.
Mid 1920–Oct 1921 SDN Woolloomooloo temporarily
relocated to the Anzac Buffet in the Domain, formerly
used to house sick and wounded soldiers returning from
the war.
1921 SDN moved into the first Welfare Centre for
Mothers and Babies at SDN Woolloomooloo’s current
location. It was opened in October 1921 by the Minister
for Public Health and Motherhood. It was ‘designed to
meet the needs of the childlife and the mothers of the
community’. 1
1931 SDN established the first training centre for
nursery school teachers in Australia at Woolloomooloo
in response to an urgent need for ‘properly trained
teachers’ to work in the newly founded Nursery Schools.
It was aided by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation
to enable ‘research and experimentation in educational
method and practice’ 2 .
1945–6 At least 30 children were evacuated from
Woolloomooloo to Tahmoor during World War II.
1969 The Kindergarten Union section of Woolloomooloo
was taken over by SDN.
2010 Today, more than 135 children attend SDN
Woolloomooloo Children’s Education and Care Centre
each week. SDN’s History Room and the SDN Archive
are also located within the SDN Woolloomooloo building.
The centre continues to hold a special place in our history.
It has long been our dream to preserve the original terrace
in Dowling Street as a significant record of the history of
Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia, and to
operate it as a public space and museum, including our
own collection of more than 30 000 historical documents
and photographs.
1 The Government Architect’s Annual Report, 1919–20.
2 Sydney Day Nursery and Nursery Schools Association (Inc.) (circa
1961). The Development of the Nursery School Training College.
Pamphlet from the SDN Children’s Services archives box 107, file
6, A S. Cookson file. Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
SDN Annual Report 2010 21

Our people
Senior Management Team Profiles
The Senior Management Team (SMT) is made up of the CEO and eight Directors — four in service delivery and four in corporate support roles.
The SMT meets weekly, and: provides leadership and strategic direction; manages the operational risks faced by SDN; determines applications
for tender; reviews policies and procedures; and, most importantly, ensures we deliver our mission of providing high quality early education and
care, strengthening families and communities, and addressing inequalities faced by children.
Ginie Udy
MBA UNE, BEd, MA(Hons) Macq.
Chief Executive Officer
Ginie Udy has been the CEO of SDN since
September 2002. Under Ginie’s stewardship
the number of children we care for and educate
has quadrupled from 1500 to 6000 children a
year, the number of child and family support
services has vastly expanded and SDN’s annual
revenue has doubled. In her time SDN has also
received national awards for the advancement
of women and child protection.
Ginie has 28 years’ experience in children’s
services, with 20 years in leadership roles. She
started her career as an early childhood teacher
at Murrawina, an Aboriginal centre in Redfern.
She then went on to set up the first Early
Intervention Service for children with disabilities
in Lithgow. Her interest in the contexts in which
children are raised led her to investigate factors
that contribute to healthy family functioning for
a master’s honours thesis.
Ginie has lectured at Macquarie University
and the University of Canberra and held senior
leadership roles with the Uniting Church
Children’s Services, Early Childhood Australia
and the YWCA of Canberra. Ginie is regularly
called on to brief government and sits on several
national and state advisory committees, boards
and reference groups. She is a strong advocate
for socially cohesive communities that respect
and include all children and families.
Rebecca Watson
Dip Teaching (Early Childhood) UWS
Director, Early Childhood Education
Rebecca joined SDN in August 2005 and is
the Director, Early Childhood Education at
SDN. In this position she manages SDN’s 23
centres and supports more than 360 staff with
responsibility for the education and care of
around 3000 children.
Rebecca is an Early Childhood Teacher
with more than 20 years’ experience as a
practitioner in long day care, family day
care and preschool. During this time she has
developed expertise and an ongoing interest
in early childhood leadership and the role it
plays in supporting curriculum construction.
Rebecca has also held senior management
positions in government, been a lecturer at the
University of Western Sydney and worked as a
consultant and trainer.
Kate Miranda
BComm(Journalism) CSU
Director of Marketing and Communications
Kate joined SDN in March 2010 as the Director
of Marketing and Communications. As part of
the Senior Management Team she is responsible
for corporate communications, public relations
and implementing SDN’s marketing strategies.
Kate is the principal contact for the media and
provides media briefings on SDN’s work.
Kate has more than 12 years’ experience
in journalism, marketing and public relations
in Australia and the United Kingdom. She
has a background in government and media,
working as a Ministerial Media Adviser for the
Australian Government. Before joining SDN
Kate worked for the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade in London. She started her
career as a radio and television journalist with
the ABC, winning the Andrew Olle Scholarship
in 1999.
Joanna Mallon
BSocSc UNSW
Director, People and Culture
Joanna joined SDN in August 2009 as the
Director, People and Culture. Joanna is
responsible for supporting SDN’s 519 staff and
driving organisational and employee programs
which cover such areas as recruitment,
remuneration and benefits, learning and
development, and health, safety and
wellbeing. As part of the Senior Management
Team Joanna is responsible for implementing
SDN’s strategic objective of being an employer
of choice.
Joanna has more than 15 years’ experience
in human resources management across the
manufacturing, retail and financial services
sectors, including eight years in senior
management roles at HCF. Before joining SDN
Joanna worked as a senior manager in retail
sales and distribution of financial services.
22 SDN Annual Report 2010

We are constantly trying to improve our management practices and our performance to build a stronger, more cohesive organisation for our staff, our
children, our families, our donors and our funding partners. SDN senior management team
Kay Turner
MSSc UWS, BEd (Early Childhood) Macq.
Director of Child, Family and Children’s
Services Programs
Kay joined SDN in September 1997 as Manager
of Focus Support Service, and in 2006 was
appointed Director of Child, Family and
Children’s Services Programs. Kay is responsible
for SDN’s early childhood intervention services
for children with dis abilities and developmental
delays, including autism, speech delays and
language disorders. Kay oversees three Inclusion
Support Agencies, SDN’s Child and Family
Resource Centre and six support programs in
Cumberland/Blacktown and Northern Sydney.
Kay has 30 years’ experience in early
childhood education and early intervention
as a teacher, a centre director and a program
manager. She has also worked for NGOs and
in government services. Kay is an experienced
adult trainer and has worked extensively with
children with disabilities and their families.
She has a Certificate IV in Assessment and
Workplace Training.
Julie Druce
MA (Social Policy Administration) UWS
BEd (Early Childhood) CSU,
Director of Early Intervention and
Family Support
Julie joined SDN in March 2000 as the Project
Officer, Waterloo Parent Resource Program
and worked in a variety of child and family
services roles before being appointed the
Director of Early Intervention and Family
Support in December 2006. She has 30 years’
experience in early childhood education and
early intervention. Julie is responsible for SDN’s
early intervention and prevention services for
marginalised children and their families. She
also facilitates the enrolment of children with
vulnerabilities into early childhood education
and care centres. Julie manages four key
programs — Brighter Futures, Poets Corner,
Partnership with Parents, and Pathways to
School — operating in Central Sydney, the
Inner West, Southern Sydney and Eurobodalla
Shire.
Julie has worked as a centre director, a
teacher and a program manager. She has also
worked for NGOs and in government.
Deb Mann
MEd, USyd., BEd (Early
Childhood) Macq.
Director, Aboriginal Unit
Deb joined SDN in August 2002 as the Manager
of the Supporting Children with Additional
Needs (SCAN) program in South East Sydney.
She went on to manage the entire SCAN
program and our Aboriginal Programs. In 2010
Deb was appointed as the founding Director of
SDN’s Aboriginal Unit, which was established as
a result of identifying directions in which SDN
services could move to further support Aboriginal
children, their families and communities. In
March 2008 she established an early childhood
education TAFE course specifically for Aboriginal
women. For this SDN won a national Equal
Opportunity For Women Agency Award in
2008 from the Australian Government for the
Advancement of Indigenous women. Deb was
awarded an Early Childhood Australia advocacy
award in 2007.
Deb has more than 30 years’ experience
in early childhood. She has been a teacher in
preschools, long day care services and schools
and has lectured at TAFE and University in early
childhood and education faculties.
Angela Todd
MBA UTS, PhD USyd., BA UNewcastle (NSW)
Director of Research and Evaluation
Angela commenced at SDN in February 2010
as the Director of Research and Evaluation. She
is responsible for developing an organisational
evaluation framework, supporting research
activities and overseeing SDN’s historical and
archival collection.
Before joining SDN Angela worked
extensively across the health sector in Australia
and Canada, in research, research funding,
service development, service evaluation, policy
development and strategic planning. Her areas
of work have included Aboriginal health, mental
health, obstetrics, early child development,
health information systems development
and pharmacy practice. She has worked for
government, public hospitals, universities and
NGOs. After completing her MBA Angela was
awarded the UTS Zonta Award for the most
outstanding female MBA graduate in 2000.
SDN Annual Report 2010 23

Organisational Structure
Ginie Udy, CEO
Melissa Boyce, Monique Eisenberg, Sophie Ghanem
Office of the CEO
Early Childhood
Education Division
Corporate Services Unit
Rebecca Watson
Director
Randa Kraim
Executive Assistant
Dr Miriam
Giugni
Early Childhood
Research and
Learning Advisor
Stes Stengos
Director
Savy Hughes
Executive Assistant
Nicole Jones
Manager,
Children’s
Education and
Care Centres
Megan Ball
Early Childhood
Advisor
Fran Bastion
Early Childhood
Advisor
Michelle Lane
Early Childhood
Advisor
Michelle
Richardson
Early Childhood
Advisor
Anna Whitty
Early Childhood
Advisor
Sarah Locke
Financial
Controller
4
Nicole
Tytherleigh
Riverwood
16
Barbara
Schneider
Inner/Eastern
Interagency
Facilitator
Zoe Heaton
Erskineville
20
Frida Caris
Redfern
14
Gina Castle
Hamilton Street,
Bathurst
11
TBA
Paddington
22
Doreen
Levensmith/
Jill Lambert
Batemans Bay
8
Anne Reeves
Crookwell
Elleni
Nicholson
Linthorpe Street,
Newtown
12
Mimi Vo
Ngallia, Lidcombe
Robyn Howie
5
12
Surry Hills
15
Liz Farry
TBA
Hurstville
Laura Yench
Glebe
Waterloo
9
5
12
Fiona Harvey
Marrickville
Carol
13 Marifel Siasat
TBA
Solemanbik
Pyrmont
Woolloomoloo
Northern
Suburbs,
11
21
Crows Nest
18
Christina
Americano
Mosman
10
Sunanda
Maskey
Ultimo TAFE
10
Louise Casey
Petersham TAFE
Jessica Smith
Acacia, Barton
14
Liam
McNicholas
Bluebell,
Belconnen
16
Sarah Harris
Goulburn
18
Joel Butao
IT Manager
2
Michael Burch
Property
and Facilities
Manager
1
24
7

People and Culture Unit
Marketing and
Communications Unit
Research, Evaluation
and History Unit
Aboriginal Unit
Child, Family and Children’s
Services Programs Division
Early Intervention and
Family Support Division
Joanna Mallon
Director
Erin Phillips
HR Administrator
Kate Miranda
Director
Angela Todd
Director
Deb Mann
Director
(Aboriginal Early Literacy
Program, Aboriginal Early
Childhood Scholarships)
Kay Turner
Director
Gerri Beltran
Executive Assistant
Julie Druce
Director
Michelle Watkins
Executive Assistant
Suzy Colbran
Health, Safety
and Wellbeing
Manager
Rachel Evans
Learning and
Development
Advisor
Olivia
Fakatulolo
Payroll Manager
1
Belinda
Waterson
HR Advisor
Children’s Education and Care
Child and Family Services
Head Office
Linda Maclean
Designer
Jean Barrett
Newsletter Editor
TBA
Marketing and
Communications
Officer
Senior Management Team (SMT)
1 Number of direct reports
Dr Sandie
Wong
Archive Manager
1
Debra Morrison
Policy Project
Officer
Sam Knight
Aboriginal Projects
Coordinator
(Tracks in Learning,
Aboriginal
Playgroup)
3
Kate Jarvis
Aboriginal Projects
Research Officer
TBA
Operations
Coordinator
Playlinks
Tina Robinson
Operations
Coordinator
Family Resource
Centre
Megan Turner
Operations
Coordinator
Community of
Learners
Catherine
Anderson
Manager, Children’s
Services Programs
(SCAN, Inclusion
Support Agency
Inner Sydney)
9
Ingrid Briggs
Operations
Coordinator SCAN
Glynis Chang
Manager, Child and
Family Programs
(Early Learning
Program, Language
Links)
7
Tracy Chu
ISA (Inclusion
Support Agency)
Cumberland/
Blacktown
Manager
7
Julie Pearson
ISA (Inclusion
Support Agency)
Northern Sydney
Manager
6
Victoria Jones
Operations
Manager
2
Kay Hunt
Poets Corner
Sally Waterford
Partnerships with
Parents Project
Lindsey Gaut
Pathways to School
Project
Brighter Futures
Lynne Bennett
Area Manager,
Brighter Futures
Southern Sydney
8
Vicki Evans
Area Manager,
Brighter Futures
Eurobodalla
4
Katie Biggs
Area Manager,
Brighter Futures
Central & Eastern
Sydney
7
Rebecca Coote
Area Manager,
Brighter Futures
Inner West
7
Julie Dowse
Manager,
Family Services
1
Luba Torban
Manager,
Children’s Services
3

Our culture
SDN is an award winning, progressive employer committed
to equal employment opportunity and inclusiveness in the
workplace. We value diversity and take pride in the innovative
nature of our employment practices.
SDN offers rewarding and diverse careers and aims to
maintain an environment that appeals to the best in the
sector. We understand the responsibilities our people have
outside the workplace and offer flexible work arrangements.
We offer a range of professional learning and education
opportunities, and financial assistance for staff who want to
learn, perform and grow. We have the strengths of a large
organisation with the benefits of a close-knit community.
In 2009–10 we employed:
519
permanent and casual staff, including:
483 women and 36 men
141
part-time staff members
72
casual staff members
10
Aboriginal
or Torres Strait Islander staff
members
‘
Our goal is to make a difference. We want to give the children at our centres the best possible start; and the families accessing our
programs all the help they need. We can only achieve this through qualified, committed and passionate staff. Our people are our most
important resource and we are dedicated to providing a supportive and professional environment to progress their careers.
Joanna Mallon, Director, People and Culture
‘
Workers Compensation premium cost as a percentage
of wages — NSW We have invested in better manual handling
practices to reduce workplace injuries. The premium cost is calculated
using the most important components: claims experience for the
previous three years, and wages costs.
8%
7%
6%
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
Staff turnover From 2006–07 to 2009–10, staff turnover was
reduced by 3%.
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0
2005−06 2006−07 2007−08 2008−09
2009−10
0
2006−07 2007−08 2008−09 2009−10
26 SDN Annual Report 2010

2009–10 annual staff survey results
Every year we conduct a staff survey through an independent
company to determine what is most important to our staff,
measure staff satisfaction and seek feedback to identify areas
that need improvement.
The top ten rated items in the 2009–10 survey were:*
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
We are an organisation committed to cultural diversity.
We have a good reputation in the children’s services
sector.
I know what is expected of me in my job.
I work in a safe and healthy environment.
My immediate supervisor treats me equitably and fairly.
I have the opportunity to use my skills.
SDN has clear goals and objectives.
I work in an area free of discrimination and harassment.
I am personally committed to contributing to the success
of SDN.
I am able to balance my work and home life demands.
The top five reasons people wanted to work at SDN were:
• Opportunity for learning and development
• SDN’s good reputation working with children and
families
• Personally being able to support ‘children realising their
potential’
• Opportunity for career development
• Flexibility to balance work and home life demands
30% of staff identified cross-organisational communication
and senior management communications as areas that need
improvement.
Workplace diversity
Our staff represent the diversity of the community. At SDN we believe cultural diversity strengthens the community and
our organisation. Our core values consist of inclusion and respect — in the workplace, in our centres, and in the wider
community. Over the next year we plan to map the cultural diversity of our staff.
* Results are ranked. Scores ranged from 95% to 87%
SDN Annual Report 2010 27

Professional development, SDN scholarships and staff awards
‘
Professional development
In a staff survey conducted in October 2009, the opportunity
for learning and development was chosen by 93 percent of
staff as the number one reason they joined SDN.
Providing educational and professional development
opportunities to our staff is a priority.
At SDN we have put more resources into developing our staff, our
community of learners. Our challenge is to keep the momentum
going and continuously improve how we support our community,
so they can share their valuable skills and experience with our
families and children.
Rachel Evans, Learning and Development Advisor
Throughout the past year SDN staff received more than 4219
internal hours of training and professional development.
This corresponds to 33 different programs, with 753 staff
attending 142 sessions catering for all staff. This includes a
half-day induction training course for all new staff. In addition
we invested $143 688 on external professional development
for staff through conferences, courses, seminars, professional
programs and workshops.
The following 11 SDN staff members received financial
support of $500 each towards further education.
Amanda Preston
Megan Turner
Lauren Giardini
Will Milthorpe
Sahra Tohow
Maree Friend
‘
Sarah Sheekey
Cuijuan Cao
Emerena Marsh
Deb Gleeson
Gerri Beltran
SDN scholarships: mentoring and supporting
future teachers
Since 2004, SDN has awarded the Hilda Antill Leadership
Scholarship (worth $3000) to a fourth year student studying
at the Institute of Early Childhood at Macquarie University.
The scholarship is awarded in honour of Hilda Antill, who
worked at SDN for 34 years from 1949 to 1983. Hilda worked
in several leadership positions, including on the Executive
Committee, as a member of the Nursery School Teachers’
College Council and as President and Vice President of the
Woolloomooloo Branch Committee.
The 2010 recipient of the Hilda Antill Leadership Scholarship
was Kristen Hammond. ‘I see my role as an early childhood
teacher to be one that crosses boundaries and advocates
for the needs of children and families both distinctly within
the early childhood field as well as through collaboration
with other professionals in children’s services,’ she said. At
the presentation, Kristen thanked SDN and said that she is
looking forward to the opportunity to undertake a practical
placement at an SDN Children’s Education and Care Centre.
Petersham TAFE graduate Thecla Georgiou was
presented with the Rhonda Pearce Scholarship: Dedication
to Relationships with Infants at the Sydney Institute of
TAFE Awards ceremony. The scholarship is dedicated to the
memory and commitment to children shown by Rhonda
Pearce, former long-term SDN staff member.
Lynn Connolly, an Early Childhood Educator at SDN
Surry Hills, was awarded the Melia O’Donnell Travelling
Scholarship. As part of the scholarship, Lynn received $4000
towards Level 1 training at the Pikler Institute in Budapest.
Pikler began as an orphanage more than 60 years ago and
has since expanded to include child care and play groups. In
June 2010 Lynn travelled to Budapest and spent 14 days at
the Pikler Institute learning about the teachings and practice
of Emmi Pikler, the founder of the Institute.
Michelle Lane, Kristen Hammond, Amanda Preston and Fran Bastion
‘
A highlight for me was learning the true meaning of respectful
interactions. The experience I had in Budapest has had a
profound effect not only on my practice but on how I see our role
as educators. Every aspect of my practice has been influenced by
this experience, from how I change a nappy to how I hold and
interact with an infant. I will use the experience to help create an
environment that emulates the same level of respect that I was
privileged to see at Pikler.
Lynn Connolly
‘
External awards for SDN staff
Amanda Preston, an Early Childhood Educator at SDN
Hurstville and a Macquarie University student, was awarded
the Institute of Early Childhood Foundation Scholarship for
Professional Leadership. The scholarship is awarded to an
outstanding student with leadership potential. Amanda will
complete her Bachelor of Teaching (Birth to School Age) in
2010 and plans to commence a Postgraduate Diploma in
Early Childhood in 2011.
28
28 SDN Annual Report 2010

Congratulations to all of our scholarship and award recipients
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander NSW Training
Awards: state finalist
We would like to congratulate Kowana Welsh, an Aboriginal
Program Support Officer with SDN’s Aboriginal Unit, for her
academic success and her journey from Petersham College
Student of the Year to State Finalist in the NSW Government
Training Awards.
Kowana won several awards following the completion of
a Certificate III in Community Services (Children’s Services) at
Petersham College (NSW TAFE), including Petersham College
Student of the Year 2010 and Petersham College Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year 2010.
Kowana then went on to win the NSW TAFE Sydney
Institute Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the
Year Award 2010. The award was contested by students from
the eight colleges of the Sydney Institute. At the presentation
dinner Kowana said that her highlight was completing a
traineeship with SDN. ‘My community is very important to
me. We need to nurture our children because they are our
future. I want to continue my learning and eventually do
a university degree in Early Childhood. I want to empower
Aboriginal families by working at the grass roots level.’
After winning the NSW Central and Northern Sydney
Regional Training Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student
of the Year Award, Kowana became one of 10 state finalists in
the NSW Government Training Awards.
‘
The judges were extremely impressed with Kowana and the prestigious Student
of the Year Award recognised her academic success as well as her important
work with children in her community.
Jean Burns, Director of Petersham College
‘
‘
To be considered one of the top 10 Aboriginal students in the
state is an incredible achievement.
Deb Mann, Director, Aboriginal Unit
Rotary supports SDN staff undertaking further study
Soukup Memorial Scholarships are sponsored by the Rotary
Club of Sydney to support people undertaking further
education or training. Each scholarship is worth up to
$2500 annually and covers tuition fees, course materials
and equipment. Two SDN staff members received a Soukup
Memorial Scholarship in 2010: Sarah Chambers of SDN
Ngallia and Katerina Athanassiou of SDN Erskineville. Sarah
works as a Child Care Assistant and is studying a Diploma in
Early Childhood, and Katerina is an Early Childhood Educator
and is undertaking a Bachelor of Teaching (Birth to Five
Years).
Left to Right: Chris Hoban, Managing Director, Surry Office
National with Kowana Welsh and Claire O’Conor, Associate Director,
Organisational Capability, Sydney Institute
‘
‘
This semester my subjects are Learning Language and
Investigation: Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood. I am
using what I am learning in the workplace. It is wonderful to
learn that everyday mathematics, science and technology
are involved in children’s play. The topics have also prompted
discussions amongst colleagues at work and this has led to
further developments in our educational programs and sharing
of knowledge amongst the team. I am very grateful to the Rotary
Club of NSW and thank them for their support.
Katerina Athanassiou, Early Childhood Educator, SDN Erskineville
Lisa Hoffman (left), Family Educator with Brighter
Futures, won The Academic Award for Excellence
following her graduation from The Australian College of
Applied Psychology.
‘
SDN Annual Report 2010 29

Recognising the service of our staff
35 years and over
Mrs Peggy Lane Marrickville 36
30 years and over
Miss Anne Irving Northern Suburbs 30
Miss Megan Brophy Paddington 30
25 years and over
Mrs Patricia Lumsdaine Marrickville 25
20 years and over
Mrs Diane Duff Batemans Bay 23
Mrs Penny Saxton Goulburn 22
Miss Doreen Levensmith Batemans Bay 22
Miss Fiona Harvey Marrickville 22
Ms Leanne Matthews Paddington 22
Mrs Beverly Seaman Crookwell 21
Mr David Farrell Linthorpe Street 21
Tina Robinson, Glynis Chang and Kay Turner,
Granville: 34 years’ service between them.
15 years and over
Ms Robyn Howie Surry Hills 19
Ms Michelle Richardson Head Office 17
Ms Maryann Peterson Northern Suburbs 17
Miss Carmen Topacio Paddington 16
Mrs Purnima Chand Paddington 16
Mrs Carol Muldoon Bathurst 16
Ms Doris Lam Fong Redfern 15
Miss Samantha Knight Aboriginal Unit 15
Ms Helen Price Crookwell 15
10 years and over
Miss Michelle Briscoe Woolloomooloo 14
Mrs Ritu Gupta Surry Hills 14
Ms Ronwyn O’Keefe Clarke SCAN program 14
Ms Louise Casey Petersham 13
Ms Khadijeh Emamvardi Erskineville 13
Mrs Karen Whittaker Goulburn 13
Mr Behrooz Arzani Ngallia 13
Mrs Harminder Kaur Waterloo 13
Mrs Rama Sama Marrickville 12
Ms Kay Turner Granville 12
Mrs Leean Weekes Goulburn 12
Ms Maria Sanchez Casual 12
Mrs Anne Reeves Crookwell 12
Miss Suet Pong Pyrmont 12
Mrs Mimi Vo Ngallia 11
Mrs Elleni Nicholson Linthorpe Street 11
Ms Glynis Chang Granville 11
Ms Joka Milicevic Riverwood 11
Paddington centre staff: Carmen Topacio, Purnima
Chand and Megan Brophy: 62 years’ service between
them.
Mr Sam Lau Casual Cook 11
Ms Kay Daley Northern Suburbs 11
Mrs Tina Robinson Granville 11
Mrs Lorraine Smart Goulburn 11
Mrs Jing Zhang Marrickville 10
Miss Dianna An Riverwood 10
Mrs Chi Do Pyrmont 10
Ms Julie Druce Rosebery 10
Ms Victoria Marsden Surry Hills 10
Mrs Janelle Collins Goulburn 10
Mrs Jill Lambert Batemans Bay 10
Mrs Kerry Bergan Batemans Bay 10
Mrs Myree Dignam Batemans Bay 10
Mrs Piyasa Barua Erskineville 10
Mrs Veena Pruthi Erskineville 10
30 SDN Annual Report 2010

The voices of children and families in our centres
SDN Northern Suburbs, Crows Nest
In the six years that SDN Northern Suburbs has been taking
care of my two sons, the thing that really sticks out as being
amazing is the consistency of staff. The kids have forged
important bonds with these amazing professional carers and
I always leave them happy. The centre radiates warmth that I
have not seen in other centres. My youngest son has a special
need which has been placed as a high priority by the staff in
his room, who are invaluable assets in his early intervention
program. kayte murphy
SDN Lady McKell, Goulburn
At school we learn to look after each other. charlie, 5
We did hard work with the wheelbarrows and soil to make our
veggie garden. brock, 4
The teachers help me to make things and I like to give them a
cuddle. izabella, 4
SDN Lois Barker, Waterloo
My son loved attending SDN Lois Barker at Waterloo, and
in particular enjoyed expanding on his interests in science
and nature. It was fabulous that the staff gave the children
opportunities to explore their personal interests. He developed
some lasting friendships with children that he now attends school
with. vesna baric
SDN Mosman
The Parent Information Night at Mosman was confirmation for
me of how wonderful SDN is. The past 18 months have been
particularly hard for me with the commitments of a new business,
a new baby and a needy young child. Thank you for all of your
advice and support. Gates and I really appreciate it and although
he does not get into the centre often, he is thrilled at all the new
things Alexa is learning and how attached to the staff she is.
meg, mother of alexa, 4
SDN Erskineville
If you were to go to your mum and dad’s work it would be
boring because there are not any toys. I like playing here with
all my friends. lily, 4
It is nice and refreshing at SDN. sienna, 4
It’s fun and there are toys. I learn to not kick or punch. I learn to
walk and not run. alfie, 4
SDN Redfern
Our eldest started at SDN Redfern seven years ago and our
youngest (the third) is currently in the Toddlers room and loving
it! Our three children have had a continuity of care from the
same carers for seven years. There is no greater comfort than
bringing your child to a place each day where they are so warmly
welcomed, loved and cared for by people who know them so well,
like extended family. liz, mother of joe
SDN Bathurst
I like putting blocks out to make a jumping castle. zeke, 4
I like making things out of trees and blocks. nick, 3
Ohh, I just like everything. megan, 4
SDN Acacia, Belconnen
We have been thrilled with our son’s development. He has
great social and learning skills and has thrived in the learning
environment provided by Adriana and the other staff at
Acacia. As parents, we feel secure that our son’s emotional and
intellectual needs are not only being met, but well and truly
exceeded. trevor and claudia, parents of charlie, 3
SDN Marrickville
I really like playing with my friends and going on visits like we
did today going to Marrickville Public School and taking our
own lunch and playing with the kindergarten children. amani, 4
‘
Jayden with Mia Davidson, Early Childhood Educator, SDN
Riverwood
Jayden is a bright bubbly boy who is nearly three years
old and blind. It’s very important to us as a family that
Jayden functions in a normal upbringing, with day-today
experiences and activities in his life. Being at SDN
Riverwood has allowed Jayden to explore his freedom and
personality. It has given him the opportunity to interact
and socialise with children the same age in a mainstream
environment. Jayden has to communicate in different
ways to other children by sign language, listening and
feeling. All the staff at SDN provide Jayden with this
encouragement, enthusiasm and learning to succeed in
all his daily activities and achievements.
lisa, mother of jayden
‘
SDN SDN Annual Annual Report Report 2010 2010 31

Leadership
Influencing policy and practice
We believe that it is important to contribute to the evidence
base that informs our work. For this reason we engage with
and critique contemporary best practice, our staff use reflective
practices and attend professional development opportunities,
we conduct research and evaluation within our services, and we
share our learning with others. Our reputation for combining
innovation and evidence-based practice is increasingly being
recognised by government, academics and the early childhood
sector, and we are increasingly being invited to share our
knowledge. In 2009–10 we contributed to five state and federal
government reviews.
Publications
External reports
Giugni M. The politics of play (by invitation). Every Child 2009; 15 (3): 8.
Internal reports
Macgregor B. (2010). Relationship Matters: An In-home Parenting Program
SDN Brighter Futures. SDN Child and Family Services Pty Ltd.
ISBN: 978-0-646-53583-8.
Wong S. (2009). SDN Brighter Futures Early Intervention Program Evaluation
Report 2009. SDN Child and Family Services.
Submissions/other input
Submission to the Australian Government’s Department of Education,
Employment, and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) on the Regulatory Impact
of the new Early Childhood Education and Care Quality Reforms, August
2009.
Submission to the NSW Government’s review of the Department of
Community Services Children’s Services Regulation, January 2010.
Input to the Australian Government’s taskforce on the development of a
‘Common Approach to Assessment and Referral’ (CAARS) for children’s
services, March 2010.
Submission to KPMG on the NSW Government’s discussion paper: Keep
Them Safe — A plan for building capacity of NGOs to take an extended role in
service delivery and for developing the workforce, March 2010.
Input to the Australian Government’s Department of Families, Housing,
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) on a draft
Performance Framework for Family Support Programs, April 2010.
32 SDN Annual Report 2010
Conference presentations
Chu T, Salmon J. Thinking about inclusion. NSW Family Day Care
Conference: Prepare to Succeed, Sydney, NSW, 25 September 2009.
Cumming T, Wong S. Rethinking the evaluative process: exploring coconstructive
research relationships. Australasian Evaluation Society
conference: Evidence and Evaluation, Canberra, ACT, 31 August–4
September 2009.
Druce J, Wong S. Building protective parent-child relationships: Using
attachment theory as an approach to early intervention and prevention.
Asia Pacific Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (APCCAN): Looking
Through the Lens of Prevention, Perth, WA, 15–18 November 2009.
Mann D, Knight S. ‘Tracks in learning’ — a transgenerational play-based
model that provides educational support for children from birth onwards.
Playgroups Australia Conference: The Power of Play, Gold Coast,
Queensland, 5–7 November 2009.
Mann D, Knight S, Cameron A. ‘Tracks in learning’ — Strong kids, strong
mob, growing together. Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle;
Newcastle, NSW, 1–2 December 2009.
McAuliffe A-M, Turner M. Tackling the barrier between ‘special’ and
‘mainstream’: early intervention and early childhood services. National
Disability Service (NSW) Conference: Dare to be Different, Sydney,
NSW, 15–16 February 2010.
Torban L. Our journey — the role of the Early Childhood Facilitator.
Benevolent Society Brighter Futures: Developing Partnerships with
Early Childhood Services for Vulnerable Children, Orange, NSW, 2–4
September 2009.
Turner K. Australia’s Social Inclusion Agenda: Transformative or a new hegemonic
discourse? Social Policy Research Centre Conference: An Inclusive Society
— Practicalities and Possibilities, Sydney, NSW, 8–10 July 2009.
Turner K. The discourse of social inclusion in Australia: Building connections
or reinforcing barriers. Early Childhood Intervention Australia (NSW
Chapter) Conference: Strengthening Connections — Building
Communities, Newcastle, NSW, 26–27 October 2009.
Turner K, Turner M. Early intervention, isn’t that your job? Blurring the edges
between early childhood education and early childhood intervention. Early
Childhood Intervention Australia Conference: Every Day In Every Way —
Creating Learning Opportunities for Every Child, Canberra, ACT, 20–22
May 2010.
Turner M, McAuliffe A-M. SDN Playlinks: experiences of implementing the
evaluation recommendations for the playgroup. Early Childhood Intervention
Australia (NSW Chapter) Conference: Strengthening Connections —
Building Communities, Newcastle, NSW, 26–27 October 2009.
Turner M, McAuliffe A-M, Reynolds C, Zawodny R. SDN Community of
Learners: Building connections and working in partnership. Early Childhood
Intervention Australia (NSW Chapter) Conference: Strengthening
Connections — Building Communities, Newcastle, NSW, 26–27
October 2009.
Turner M, Moussaoui S, Turner K. SDN Language Links: Strengthening
connections using language rich environments. Early Childhood Intervention
Australia (NSW Chapter) Conference: Strengthening Connections —
Building Communities, Newcastle, NSW, 26–27 October 2009.
Wong S, Bland E. Learning and teaching art in early childhood: An historical
reflection. Australian Research in Early Childhood Education (ARECE)
Conference: 17 th and Final Conference, Monash University, Frankston,
Victoria, 19–21 January 2010.
Wong S, Druce J. Moving from a needs-based to a human rights perspective in
prevention programs: What are the challenges? Australian Research Alliance
for Children and Youth (ARACY) Conference: Transforming Australia for
our Children’s Future, Melbourne, Vic, 2–4 September 2009.
Invited guest lectures/speakers
Chang G,Turner K. Play–based early childhood intervention: images of
the child and play underpinning SDN Early Learning Program. Lecture
presented at the Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University,
16 March 2010.
Torban L. Value of early child care services in supporting families: The Brighter
Futures Program (by invitation). Occasional Child Care Association:
Annual General Meeting, Sydney, NSW, 10 November 2009.
Turner K. Assessment in play-based contexts. Lecture presented at the
Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, 16 March 2010.
Udy G (Invited panel member). Australian Government: Social Inclusion
Conference, Melbourne, Victoria, 28–29 January 2010.
Udy G, Torban L (Invited panel members). Australian Community
Children’s Services NSW: Waves of Change — Are You on Board?
Wollongong, NSW, 14 May 2010.
Watson R, Whitty A. Infants and Toddlers at SDN. Lecture presented at the
Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, 2 November 2009.
‘
Having papers accepted for presentation at conferences has given us opportunities to showcase SDN’s work, as well as to
contribute to the learning of others who work with children and families. By sharing the things we’ve learnt through practice and
research we’re helping to build a strong and knowledgeable child and family services workforce.
Kay Turner, Director of Child, Family and Children’s Services Programs
‘

Media coverage
In 2009–10 we issued ten media releases and featured in
several NSW Government and Australian Government media
releases following the announcement of successful tenders.
We also received media coverage in print, broadcast and
magazines nationally, in metropolitan Sydney and Canberra
media as well in several local papers in the areas in which we
operate. Some highlights include:
• Our campaign to encourage drivers to slow down to
40km/h near long day care centres and preschools was
covered by The Daily Telegraph and Channel 9 News. The
NSW Government said it will consider new speed zones
on a case by case basis (June 2010).
Ginie Udy with the Hon Robert McClelland MP, Federal Attorney-General and children at the official opening of SDN
Acacia. The June launch was attended by more than 100 guests, including staff, families, government officials, media
and people who helped establish the new centre. At the launch, the Attorney-General said that the new work-based
centre has many benefits for families: ‘This new centre plays an important role in helping families create the right
work-life balance.’
• At the opening of our new Children’s Education and
Care Centre in Barton, Canberra, our children presented
painted portraits of the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to
the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland. The event was
covered by the ABC, Channel 9, Channel 7 and Channel
Ten, and reported in the The Canberra Times (June 2010).
• A feature article on SDN’s inclusive practices to welcome
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children was
published in Putting Children First, an early childhood
sector magazine produced by the National Childcare
Accreditation Council (June 2010).
• The Koori Mail covered the announcement by the NSW
Government that SDN had been awarded the tender
to develop and deliver a new Aboriginal Early Literacy
Project (June 2010).
• SDN’s campaign for higher standards of care through
lower staff-to-child ratios featured in the Winter 2010
edition of Rattler magazine, produced by the Community
Child Care Co-operative.
For a full list of media releases visit www.sdn.org.au
SDN Annual Report 2010 33

Our fundraising
In the 2009 –10 financial year SDN received more than $90 967 in donations from 86 generous supporters — a 50 percent increase compared with last year
At SDN we believe that it is the right of all children to access
high quality early education and care, regardless of economic
circumstances, developmental status or cultural background.
We make it our business to reach out to the most vulnerable
in the community. Although we are skilled at tapping into all
sources of government funding, there are still shortfalls and
we rely on fundraising to support our work.
Our fundraising efforts in 2009–10 concentrated on our
work with Aboriginal children, women and communities
— the strength of which has now enabled us to set up an
Aboriginal Unit.
Aboriginal Early Childhood
Scholarships
In 2007 SDN established Early Childhood Scholarships
specifically for Aboriginal children because it was apparent that
many were not accessing mainstream child care and preschool
due to cultural barriers and cost. SDN has a reputation,
through the caring nature and cultural appreciation shown by
our staff and supported by our Aboriginal Unit, for welcoming
Aboriginal families.
To date scholarships have been funded by a very generous
donation made by the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation
in 2007. SDN awarded 11 scholarships to children at SDN
Redfern in 2009–10. This is the only fully funded educational
scholarship program offered to preschool aged Aboriginal
children. The scholarships cover the cost of the education
and care for a three-year-old to attend an SDN Children’s
Education and Care Centre, three days a week for two years
(50 weeks per year). Each scholarship costs $6000 per year.
We were delighted to extend the program this year due
to the generosity of the family and friends of the late Lex
McCorquodale and the parishioners of the Killara Uniting
Church.
We are looking to increase our capacity in the city and
offer new scholarships in the Glebe, Newtown and Surry Hills
areas, and this year stepped up fundraising efforts.
If you would like to help an Aboriginal child through a
scholarship, please contact us on 9213 2400.
‘
The Directors were encouraged by SDN’s commitment to Indigenous children and their families who are at risk of ‘slipping through the cracks’
of bureaucratic funding models. The scholarships are seeking to address, at an individual level, the problem of poor educational outcomes of
Aboriginal children. Directors were also mindful of SDN’s pioneering track record of administering early intervention ‘scholarships’, the efficacy
of which has been documented in independent valuations.
From the Directors of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation
‘
34 SDN Annual Report 2010

In 2009 –10 SDN awarded
Aboriginal Early Childhood
Scholarships to 11 children
SDN SDN Annual Annual Report Report 2010 2010 35

Our donors
We would like to thank all of our donors for supporting the work of SDN
Donations for Aboriginal Early Childhood Scholarships
The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation
Mrs Ruth Armytage AM
Mrs Annette Baggie
Mrs Judith Bidencope
Mr Peter Bidencope
Mrs R.D. Bridges OBE
Mr Allan and Mrs Janet Bryant
Mrs Josephine Cairns
Ms M.W. Campbell
Mrs Doreen G Carter
Ms Helen Collins
Mr John Cowlishaw
Mr Richard Denton
Mr Clyde Dickens
Mr David J Eastwood
Mr John Giles
Mrs Mavis Graham
Mrs Hilary Hannam
Mrs June Hicks
Mrs Jean Himmelhoch
Dr Ray Hollings
Mrs Meg Hornbrook
Miss Eloise Hummell
Mrs Jill Hummell
Mr Patrick Irwin
Ms Cheryl Kerr
Mr John Lamble
Mrs Pat Lesslie
Mr Bill and Mrs Pat Locke
Mr Graeme and Mrs Janet Lumsden
Mr Brian McCarthy
Mr Lex and Mrs Judy McCorquodale
Mr John McCorquodale
Mr Don McCorquodale
Mr Mike and Mrs Liz McEwen
Ms Susan Mitchell
Mr Ian and Mrs Jen Neilson
Mr James Parker
Mrs Ruth Read
Ms Vicki Richards
Mrs Lindy Richardson
Mr John W. Sanders
Mr Tom and Mrs Janet Savage
Ms Denise Self
Mrs Pat Sinclair
Ms Jan Smith
Mr Ian and Mrs Jan Stanwell
Mrs L.J. Strange
T & H Mangement Ryde
Mr Andrew Tagg
Mrs Joan Thomson
Mrs B.A. Uttley
Mr Ron Webb
Mr Peter M. Williamson
Ms Margot Womack
Miss Rosemary Young
Donations for Aboriginal playgroups
The Jenour Foundation
Donations to Aboriginal training and support
Ms Pamela Pearce
Donations assisting children and families facing challenges
Mrs Elizabeth Albert
Ms Kirsty Albert
Mrs Ruth Armytage AM
Mrs Susan Braham
Mrs R.D. Bridges OBE
Dr Joy Goodfellow
Mrs Hilary Hannam
Mrs Prue Lander
Mrs Nancy Lefmann
Mr Trevor Robinson
Donations for our buildings
Mrs H. Elizabeth Fairfax
Mrs Prudence Finlay
Mr Tony Gall
Mrs Betty Greenfield
Mrs Mary Hill
Ms Emma Longworth
Mrs Jenifer Longworth
Mr Norman Longworth
Mr Ian Phillip
Mrs Joan Poole
Mr Trevor Robinson
Ms Susan Salter
Mrs H.M. Street
Mrs Jan Harvey Sutton
Mrs Marina West
Mr James T.O. Whitney
Tax deductibility of donations
In 2008 SDN Children’s Services Inc established a subsidiary
company — SDN Child and Family Services Pty Limited.
The company was endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient
(‘DGR’) by the Australian Taxation Office on 19 December
2008 under Subdivision 30-B of the Income Tax Assessment Act
1997, 4.1.1 Public Benevolent Institution (‘PBI’). All donations
greater than $2 made to SDN Child and Family Services Pty
Ltd are tax-deductible.
36 SDN Annual Report 2010

‘
We’ve been helping families to remember how much progress they’ve made and to keep their eye on where they want
to head. We can see this makes a positive difference. When you have a child with a disability, sometimes it can be
hard to see these things when you’re in the middle of all of life’s ups and downs.
Glynis Chang, Manager of Child and Family Programs
‘
SDN Annual Report 2010 37

Corporate partners and government funders
In order to meet our mission, we are committed to the highest standards of operation with the resources we receive. We work with a range of partners in
various ways who all help strengthen our organisation to ensure we are able to reach more children, families and communities in the future
Innovative solutions to support our services
Link in & Learn
SDN received funding of $30 000 from the Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)
to pilot innovative learning practices in the early childhood
education sector. This funding was used to explore learning
initiatives that utilise technology to overcome the particular
challenge faced by early childhood employees of being able to
be released from the workplace to participate in learning and
development. The six-month project involved 66 employees
and six subject areas, including e-learning, Aboriginal Yarn-Up,
Green & Healthy Environments, Social Inclusion, Supporting
New Graduates, and Research and Evaluation.
Our corporate and community funding partners
IBM very generously contributed $30 000 towards an upgrade
of the outdoor space at SDN Northern Suburbs to create a
natural and sustainable environment for children.
The Commonwealth Bank awarded SDN a $10 000
Staff Community Grant which was used to deliver a fiveweek
‘Cooking on a Budget’ course in Redfern through our
Partnerships with Parents program.
The NSW Government (Community Services) through the
Community Childcare Co-operative, awarded SDN a grant
of $48 000 towards a building upgrade at our Crookwell
Children’s Education and Care Centre.
We received $37 500 from the NSW Department of
Environment, Climate Change and Water for our Saving the
Community Water project at SDN Northern Suburbs.
The City of Sydney awarded SDN a $15 000 grant towards
a Women’s Work-Oral History project and our Redfern
Aboriginal playgroup project.
38 SDN Annual Report 2010
Our government funding partners
SDN receives funding from the Australian and NSW
Governments to deliver a range of child and family support
programs through the following departments:
• The Department of Human Services NSW and agencies
within the Department, including Community Services
and Ageing, Disability and Home Care. Total funding of
$8 651 096 in 2009–10.
• The NSW Department of Education and Training. Total
funding of $87 730 in 2009–10.
• Families NSW (an early intervention strategy
incorporating several NSW Government departments).
Total funding of $689 636 in 2009–10.
• The Australian Government Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations. Total funding of
$2 776 393 in 2009–10.
• The Australian Government Department of Families,
Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Total funding of $776 820 in 2009–10.
Cooking on a Budget
SDN ran a series of Cooking on a Budget courses funded
through a $10 000 grant from the Commonwealth Bank.
Our aim was to show people how to cook nutritious and
affordable family meals. The courses offered advice on healthy
cooking, budgeting, meal preparation, diabetes prevention
and nutrition. More than half of the 31 participants were
Aboriginal, 11 were young parents, eight had mental health
issues, others were homeless and some had partners in jail.
‘
Your organisation’s efforts to support disadvantaged children by
strengthening families and building parenting skills are admirable.
The hon Tanya Plibersek mp, Minister for human services, minister for social
inclusion and Federal Member for Sydney (SDN has seven centres and runs
nine family support programs in the Sydney electorate)
‘
The children of participants were an integral part of the cooking
course. We provided educational activities for the children while
their parents learnt to cook. We taught the parents about good
nutrition, so that their family diet improves, and we guided
parents in managing children’s behaviour if needed. All this
supports the children’s development, and their health, and
lessens stress in families.
‘
Sally Waterford, Coordinator, Partnerships with Parents Project
Professional advisors
SDN seeks advice from the following companies:
Legal: Bartier Perry. Financial Auditing: PKF Chartered
Accountants & Business Advisers. Banking and Investment
Advice: Commonwealth Bank.
‘

The voices of families in our programs
Families who have been helped through our
targeted support programs
You always believed in me. I am at the space where I want to
be now. I am happy. I don’t regret what I went through when I
look back at it now as it just made me stronger. I don’t question
myself any longer why it has happened to me. I let it go. I have
my kids and I love them. jenny, mother of three children
I had no one to listen to me, no family or friends. I felt completely
stuck until you allowed me to talk through my issues and helped
me attend parenting groups and the Playbus — it was great. I
don’t know where I would be without your service — thank you
so much. mary, mother of 5 year old and 1 year old
I would definitely bring my child again. It is the first time the
boy has been out and played with other children. a parent
attending playbus
The child care has been fantastic. We previously had no routine
at home before starting at the centre but now the child eats
breakfast and lunch — where as before he tended not to eat.
The child care was a great support for me. a parent at a family
service meeting
Feedback from families that attend our Child and
Family Resource Centre at Granville
My son is more independent and social, he often says hello
to people now. He is more confident when I leave him. My
daughter’s speech and language is amazing and she has learnt
rhymes and songs very early after coming to Stay and Play
every week.
A caring environment where my children were accepted for who
they are. The staff are so supportive and friendly allowing us the
space we need to learn to play together. The Resource Centre is
a great place to get resources for my children with autism.
Feedback from participants who attended the
Mental Health Training Course facilitated by SDN
(see page 16)
Through this training I have been given the tools to open up a
conversation with a parent and child.
This course has been a reminder about the important role and
impact we have as Early Childhood Educators in creating safe
and welcoming spaces.
The literature that I was able to take away from the training
provided a talking point between the family and the centre.
Overall, walking away from the training I felt better equipped
to build on my relationship with the family. I wish more of my
staff had been able to attend as this training gave me a better
understanding of what mental health is.
SDN has helped many other long day care centres
and preschools to enrol Aboriginal children. Here
are comments from two centre directors (of non-
SDN centres)
Four years ago we had one (Aboriginal child enrolled) and now
we have seven. None of this could have been done without Deb
Mann who has guided, resourced, mentored and supported us.
She has been instrumental and was the catalyst for us taking
on our Aboriginal trainee.
Some people are surprised that we do as much as we do
when we don’t even have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
families here. It’s probably more important to do it if you don’t
have diversity – to present a culture of respect for difference and
different families.
When he started at SDN I’d met the teachers, started to talk to the
teachers and the boss, and I felt good about him going there.
an aboriginal mother on the importance of feeling comfortable
and knowing the staff
SDN SDN Annual Annual Report Report 2010 2010 39

Board and governance
SDN Children’s Services’ Board of Directors
Our Board ensures that we responsibly manage our finances, comply with all relevant legislation, have good corporate governance and risk
management policies; and ensures we operate efficiently and effectively. Our Board Members bring diverse professional experience and
leadership including expertise in financial and business management, corporate governance, marketing, academia, education and the law. We
thank our Board Members for their commitment and guidance. All Directors are non-executive members of the Board and work in a voluntary
capacity. For more on Board governance see page 44.
Tony Gall
Fellow of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants in Australia
Honorary Treasurer
Susan Salter
BA USyd, Dip Financial Markets SIA
Chairman and President
Susan joined the SDN Board in November 2005
and became President in February 2010. A
former Vice President (2008–09), she sits on the
Finance Committee and chairs the Governance
and Strategic Planning committees.
Susan is a business writer who has been
researching and communicating information
for the corporate and public sectors for over
25 years. Experience in mining, retail banking
and the arts was followed by six years with two
public affairs consultancies, after which she
established her own practice. With 10 years as a
public affairs manager and consultant devising,
implementing and managing communication
programs, Susan has a broad understanding
of issues and stakeholders. A keen recreational
cyclist and cross-country skier, she was a director
of her ski club from 2005 until 2008.
Darren Mitchell
BEc MEc, USyd
Vice President
Darren joined the SDN Board in November 1996
and served as President from November 2005
to December 2008. He has been employed
in the NSW Department of Premier and
Cabinet for the past 25 years and is currently
the Assistant Director, Veterans’ Affairs and
Grants Administration. Darren was recently
awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate
war memorials and sustaining community
remembrance. His experience and knowledge
of government are great assets. Darren’s two
children each attended SDN services for five
years. He is a member of SDN’s Finance and
Strategic Planning committees.
Susan Braham
BA USyd, Teachers Cert. (New Zealand)
Vice President and Chair, Nominations
Committee
Susan joined the SDN Board in 2001 and
was President from 2003 to 2005 and again
for a year in 2009. She is also a member of
the Strategic Planning Committee. She was
a History and English teacher, and Head of
History, at Masadá College in St Ives for 18
years after taking time off to stay at home
with her two sons. She started her career
as a Research Assistant in several university
departments, including at the University of
Sydney, the Australian National University and
Macquarie University.
Tony joined the SDN Board in May 2006 and
became Honorary Treasurer in June 2007. He
also chairs SDN’s Finance Committee. During his
39-year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers,
Tony was an employee and partner and
worked in audit, management and corporate
advisory. He worked for PwC in London, the
United States and Indonesia.
Tony’s experience in audit covered a
wide range of industries including insurance,
IT, manufacturing and mining, oil and gas
exploration, marketing and advertising. His
corporate advisory experience included startups,
company valuations and prospectuses,
finance raising and strategic advice. Tony now
provides business and strategic advice to a
number of medium-sized businesses. He is
Chairman of Innovative Design Technologies
Group Pty Ltd and its associated companies,
and is also an independent director of Westside
Corporation Limited. He has an extensive
network of business and personal contacts in
Asia, Europe, Middle East and the USA, and is
an active golfer.
40 SDN Annual Report 2010

Effie Bland
Chair of the History Committee
Cathy Sherry
BA LLB (Hons) USyd
Effie has been a Board Member since 1991,
but first joined SDN in 1989 and was elected
President of the Redfern and Waterloo Branch
Committees. She was appointed Chair of
the History Committee in 2001. Effie led the
planning for SDN’s centenary celebrations in
2005, and has overseen the task of preserving,
cataloguing and presenting SDN’s archives
and history as a provider of education and care
since 1905.
In 2002 the History Committee established
the SDN Archive at the History Room at SDN
Woolloomooloo, to preserve SDN’s records and
the broader history of the development of early
childhood education. The Archive is unique in
the early childhood sector in Australia and is
largely the result of Effie’s tireless commitment.
Effie brings extensive business experience to
her work on the Board. She worked for 40 years
in the business operations of S McN Bland Pty
Ltd, of which she is a Director.
Ruth Armytage AM
Diploma of the Sydney Kindergarten
Teachers College
Chair of SDN Child and Family Services
Board
Ruth joined the SDN Board in 1992 and has
more than seven years’ experience in early
childhood education. She is Chair of the SDN
Child and Family Services Board and is also
a member of the Governance Committee.
She was formerly a teacher and then Centre
Director at a Kindergarten Union centre in
Newtown, Outpost Newtown, which was the
first purpose-built preschool in the Southern
Hemisphere. Ruth also taught at a private
preschool in London for a year. She brings a
wealth of experience to the board and is also
a long-time personal supporter of SDN’s work.
Ruth is on other not-for-profit boards which
have a focus on early intervention for young
children and youth.
Theresa Collignon
MBA (AGSM) BComm(Marketing)
UNSW, Dip Financial Markets SIA
Theresa joined the SDN Board in December
2008 and is also a member of the Governance
Committee. She is currently the General
Manager of consulting firm Manidis Roberts.
Theresa brings to the board more than 20 years
of local and international experience in the
not-for-profit education sector, in leadership
roles with AFS student exchange, the Securities
Institute and the Australian Graduate School of
Management. Her early career in marketing
and product development provided a very solid
foundation for her commercial and business
management skills.
Theresa’s involvement in governance
started early in life with a role as youth
representative to the local parish council. As
part of her commitment to creating a more
civil society she has been involved in a range of
committees and boards in a voluntary capacity
over the years including St Vincent’s College,
Little Nicholson Street Playcentre and the
AGSM alumni. She is currently the President of
the Balmain Public School P&C.
Cathy Sherry became a Board Member in
February 2009 and is a Senior Lecturer in
the Faculty of Law at The University of New
South Wales. She teaches undergraduate and
postgraduate property courses as well as an
elective, Children and the Law. Cathy has
researched and written on early childhood care
and education and has a particular interest
in the effect of urban planning on children’s
wellbeing. She is currently a member of a
taskforce on children’s falls from residential
buildings at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead
and is a Board member of the National
Children’s and Youth Legal Centre.
Cathy is an editor of The Property Law Review
and has published extensively in academic
property journals in Australia and overseas.
She is also a contributor to the opinion pages
of the Sydney Morning Herald, and had a regular
column on work and family in The Sunday Age
for a number of years. Cathy completed the
final year of her degree at the Queen Mary
and Westfield College, University of London,
and is currently writing her PhD on strata and
community title.
All of our Board Members have made an enormous contribution to our ability to provide high quality early education and care, and strengthen families
and communities. Ginie Udy, CEO
SDN Annual Report 2010 41

Board attendance
Number of meetings attended during the year to
30 June 2010
Name
Year
joined
Board
A B
EBM* EBM†
Finance
A B
Kirsty Albert
BA(Hons) LLB USyd
Susan Salter
(President)
Susan Braham
(Vice President)
2005 6 6 Y 12 13
2001 6 6 Y 6 7
Kirsty joined the SDN Board in February 2010
and continues a long family association with
SDN. Her great-grandmother, Mrs Orwell
Phillips, was one of the earliest Presidents
and served on the Executive for 42 years;
and her grandmother, Barbara Selby, was
a Vice President and is now a Life Member.
Kirsty is also a member of the Governance
Committee.
Kirsty has more than 10 years’ experience
in human resource management and
corporate law within Australia and India.
She worked as a Senior Associate with
Corrs Chambers Westgarth, specialising
in mergers and acquisitions and general
corporate and commercial law before
moving into human resources. More
recently she worked as the Human Resources
Director for the Assetz Property Group in
India with responsibility for setting up and
leading the HR function. Kirsty has three
young children and is actively involved in
the school and local community.
Trevor Robinson
BCom(Accounting) LLB UNSW
Trevor Robinson joined the SDN Board in
November 2009. Now retired, Trevor is a
qualified solicitor having previously been a
partner for 20 years with Clayton Utz, the
major Australian law firm. At Clayton Utz
Trevor specialised in banking and financial
services. He also has extensive experience
in corporate law and corporate governance.
Trevor is a member of SDN’s Finance
Committee. He is a member of a local soccer
club, and is on the executive of the P&C
and an active participant in a wide variety of
activities for a local public school.
Jenifer Longworth
Diploma of Decorative Arts
Jenifer joined the SDN Board in October
1987 and is SDN’s longest serving Board
Member. She is also a member of the
Nominations Committee. She is a long-time
Private Company Director and Secretary.
Jennifer has more than 36 years’ experience
in child care and development and has
been influential in SDN’s strategic direction
and evolution for more than two decades.
Jenifer first joined SDN in 1974 as a member
of the Forest Lodge Committee, on which
she served several terms as President. This
made her part of the Executive Committee
(the Board equivalent in the 1980s) and
the Finance Committee. Jenifer also served
two terms as the Vice President of the SDN
Association, which became SDN Children’s
Services in the 1990s. Jenifer has remained a
Board Member since its formation. She has
visited several child care centres in Sweden,
USA, Canada and Shanghai.
Darren Mitchell
(Vice President)
Kirsty Albert 2010 3 3
Ruth Armytage 1992 6 6
1996 4 6 Y 9 13
Kerry Bennett 2003 3 3 Y
Effie Bland 1991 6 6 Y Y
Theresa Collignon 2009 5 6
Tony Gall
(Treasurer)
Genevieve Kirton 1989 2 3
2006 4 6 Y Y 12 13
Jenifer Longworth 1987 4 6 Y
Ann Mitchell 1988 2 3
Trevor Robinson 2009 2 3 Y 8 9
Cathy Sherry 2009 5 6
* October 2009
† April 2010
A = The number of meetings attended.
B = The number of meetings held during the time the Director
held office during the year.
Ms Susan Braham resigned as President in February 2010.
Ms Susan Salter was elected as President in February 2010.
Ms Kirsty Albert and Mr Trevor Robinson joined the Board in
February 2010 and November 2009 respectively.
Mr Kerry Bennett, Mrs Genevieve Kirton and Mrs Ann Mitchell
resigned from the Board in November 2009.
42 SDN Annual Report 2010

SDN Child and Family Services’ Board of Directors
The SDN Child and Family Services Board was formed in December 2008 following the establishment of SDN’s subsidiary company
SDN Child and Family Services Pty Limited. The subsidiary company is responsible for government program contracts and the Board
ensures we responsibly meet the conditions of our contracts. It comprises three SDN Children’s Services Board Members and one external
member (all non-executive members) as well as our CEO, Ginie Udy (executive member). The current Child and Family Services members
are Ruth Armytage AM (Chair), Tony Gall, Darren Mitchell, Sonya Pearce and Ginie Udy. In 2009–10, the Board met five times. SDN Child
and Family Services Pty Limited has PBI and DGI status.
Sonya Pearce
BEd(Adults) MEd(Adults), Associate
Diploma of Education (Aboriginal) UTS
Sonya joined the Child and Family Services’ Board
in July 2009. She is an Aboriginal woman from the
Goreng Goreng nation of Queensland. Sonya is a
Senior Lecturer/Director of Indigenous Programs
and teaches in Community Management, Faculty
of Business, University of Technology, Sydney. As
Director of Programs, Sonya has overseen the
development of a joint degree in Adult Education
and Community Management for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students. Sonya is a PhD
Candidate whose doctoral work is on Aboriginal
Women Entrepreneurship and Social Change.
Sonya was awarded the UTS Teaching and
Learning Award in 2006 for her work with
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the
Faculty of Business.
In 2007 she was awarded a Carrick Citation for
Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
— Sustained and scholarly leadership of courses,
teaching and student support for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander students. Sonya has
also received a UTS Human Rights Award for her
work with Aboriginal women tackling violence in
Aboriginal communities.
SDN Annual Report 2010 43

Governance report
Governance Statement
SDN Children’s Services Incorporated is a company limited
by guarantee and is not-for-profit. Its Board of Directors is
responsible for the governance of the organisation and for
decisions affecting its future direction. The Board is committed
to ensuring the organisation fulfils its mission of:
• providing high quality early childhood education and care
• strengthening families and communities
• addressing inequalities faced by children.
Governance Committee and Charter
During the year the Board established a Governance
Committee, which is developing a Governance Charter.
Review of Constitution and Alteration to Name
On 7 June 2010 members voted at an Extraordinary General
Meeting to replace the Memorandum and Articles of
Association with a modern Constitution. Members passed
three Resolutions, in effect:
1. replacing the old Constitution with a new one which
takes note of changes to the Corporations Act since the
old Memorandum and Articles were updated in 1995
2. approving transitional procedures for Directors at the
next AGM
3. changing the name of the company to ‘SDN Children’s
Services’ by dropping ‘Incorporated’, which is no longer
relevant.
Appointment of Directors
Directors must be Members of the organisation. The
Constitution stipulates that every Member undertakes to
contribute to the assets of the organisation in the event that
it is wound up, such amount not exceeding $10. The Board
shall consist of no more than 12 and no fewer than eight
Directors. All Directors of the main Board are non-executive
members and work in a voluntary capacity.
The Board’s Role
The Board:
• appoints the CEO
• sets the scope of the CEO’s authority to establish
programs, budget, administer finances and otherwise
manage the organisation
• exercises due diligence, fulfils fiduciary responsibility and
guards against undue risk
• develops the strategic plan in association with the CEO
and senior staff, and monitors its implementation through
the monthly report to the Board
• approves the annual budget and ensures sufficient
funds are available to meet financial commitments and
obligations as they fall due — based on monthly financial
information obtained from the Finance Committee
• ensures the organisation complies with statutory and
regulatory standards set by government
• establishes Board Committees as required to oversee
aspects of the organisation’s operations. SDN currently
has six committees: Finance, Governance, Research Ethics,
Strategic Planning, History and Nominations (with Risk &
Compliance, due to start in the first quarter of 2011)
• reviews all policies.
Responsibilities of Management
The Board has delegated to the Chief Executive Officer the
day-to-day running of the organisation and its child care
centres, programs, services and consultancy operations.
Board Meetings
The Board meets every second month, with Board papers sent
to Directors in advance. The Board receives regular, scheduled
presentations from senior management. During the 2009–10
financial year the Board met six times. It also met for two
Extraordinary Board Meetings in October and April.
Risk Management Plan and Committee
SDN has a detailed Risk Management Plan for all levels of
the organisation, which is monitored and reviewed by the
Board. During 2009–10 the Board determined to form a
Risk and Compliance Committee to oversee more regularly
management’s compliance with its many legal responsibilities
and risk factors.
Code of Conduct
The sectors in which SDN provides services to children and
families are necessarily highly regulated and the Directors,
senior management and staff are aware of the laws with which
they must comply, and of the many policies and protocols
SDN has in place to ensure this. The Board also ensures there
are adequate mechanisms to deal with complaints, conflict of
interest and client confidentiality.
Directors and Officers Insurance
The organisation holds Directors and Officers Insurance.
44 SDN Annual Report 2010

Our financial performance
The consolidated surplus for the SDN group for the year ended
30 June 2010 was $957 272. The parent entity generated
$897 693 of this total with the balance contributed by SDN
Child and Family Services Pty Ltd ($52 710) and the SDN
Building Fund ($6869). To counter any possible reduction
in utilisation at our centres due to the global financial crisis
we committed funds only to essential building works. Actual
utilisation was stronger than expected, and this, combined
with prudent management, resulted in a larger than forecast
surplus. The group transferred $500 000 of this surplus to
a reserve to fund building improvements at our centres, as
part of a long-term capital expenditure program.
Early education and care services provided through SDN’s
Children’s Education and Care Centres accounted for the
majority of the SDN group’s activities. Revenue from child
care fees increased to $18 732 118, up from $16 297 964 in
2008-09. Income from child care fees and Child Care Benefit
represented 64% of SDN’s revenue, while income from
government funded programs made up 33% of consolidated
revenue, down from 41% in the previous year.
Our total consolidated revenue for 2009–10 was
$29 328 830, a decrease of $1 127 626 compared with
2008–09. This reduction is largely due to the Australian
Government’s decision to end administration of Inclusion
Support Subsidy (ISS) by regional providers, of which SDN
was one, and to introduce one National Inclusion Support
Subsidy Provider. SDN had received funds of $1 817 349 in
2008–09 for the ISS program.
Although revenue decreased, it was offset by a reduction
in occupancy costs of $856 487 and service delivery
expenses of $1 326 960. Service delivery costs were reduced
from 10% last year to 6% of total expenditure in 2009–10.
Administration overhead costs remained steady at 9% of
total expenditure.
The major component of SDN’s expenditure is the cost of
employment, representing 78% of total expenditure. SDN
generated total cash receipts of $33 743 387 for the year
with cash holdings up $1 565 527 from last year.
On the Balance Sheet, SDN’s net assets are valued at
$25 878 755, an increase of $957 273 from the previous
year. Property, plant and equipment make up $24 120 590
of the total amount.
Government funding
We received a total of $13 019 175 from the Australian
and NSW governments to run our child and family support
services. The Australian Government contributed $3 553 213
and the NSW Government funding amounted to $9 465 962.
Of this, $3 488 855 from NSW Community Services through
the Children’s Services Program supported 18 of our centres
and four programs.
SDN’s financial records for the year ended 30 June 2010
were audited by PKF Sydney in accordance with Australian
Accounting Standards and obligations under funding
agreements, the Corporations Act and the Charitable
Fundraising Act. A copy of SDN’s Annual Financial Report is
available on request or at www.sdn.org.au
Consolidated Revenue Revenue Expenditure
$35,000,000
$30,000,000
$25,000,000
$20,000,000
$15,000,000
$10,000,000
$5,000,000
Child Care fees and Child Care
Benefit
Government funding
Private funding
Other
Employee benefits expenses
Administration expenses
Occupancy expenses
Service delivery expenses
Depreciation expenses
Other
0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
SDN Annual Report 2010 45

Government department abbreviations
Australian Government
DEEWR The Department of Education, Employment and
Workplace Relations
FaHCSIA The Department of Families, Housing,
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
New South Wales Government
DHS The Department of Human Services
(incorporating the following agencies:
Community Services; Ageing, Disability and
Home Care (ADHC); and Families NSW. Families
NSW is a whole-of-government early intervention
strategy incorporating several government
departments)
DET The Department of Education and Training
Glossary of terms
COAG Council of Australian Governments.
EYLF The Early Years Learning Framework is part of COAG’s
reform agenda. It is Australia’s first national curriculum
framework for early childhood education. It describes the
principles essential to support children’s learning from birth
to five years.
KTS Keep Them Safe is the NSW Government’s response to
the recommendations made by Justice Wood in his report of
the Special Commission of Inquiry into Protection Services in
NSW. It is a five-year Action Plan which aims to improve the
way children are looked after in the Child Protection System.
NQA The National Quality Agenda is the overarching
name given to the quality reforms which incorporate the
new National Quality Standard, including the Early Years
Learning Framework, the new ratings system and associated
regulatory system.
Pedagogy An early childhood educator’s professional
practice, especially those aspects that involve building
and nurturing relationships, curriculum decision-making,
teaching and learning.
46 SDN Annual Report 2010

We thank everyone who gave
permission for their photo to be
used in this Annual Report

At SDN we value trust and reliability, inclusion and respect, creativity and innovation. These are the values we nurture in children and in our staff
SDN Children’s Services Inc. ABN 23 000 014 335
PO Box 654, Broadway, NSW 2007
t 02 9213 2400
48 SDN Annual Report 2010
Patron: Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of NSW
SDN Annual Report 2010 48
SDN Annual Report 2010 48
www.sdn.org.au