Report of Operations - South West Alliance of Rural Health

20 Community Services ReportChild CareAfter extensive renovations in2009-2010, Child Care has beensteadily working towards openinga third room in the centre during2010-2011. The centre appliedfor and received a Variation ofLicence from the Department ofEducation and Early ChildhoodDevelopment (DEECD) allowingus to operate from 3 rooms and 2outdoor yards with 42 child careplaces (up from 32 places). This isa huge achievement and ensuresthat the centre will be able tocope with community growthover the next 10 years.After School Care and VacationCare has also attracted a numberof new families to the centre withchildren up to 12 years of agebeing cared for. This program isslowly building and is expected toincrease in numbers as currentfamilies move from the centreto school and continue utilisingour services. Our focus is onbuilding our stock of resourcesfor the older age group andimplementing programs thatinterest and accommodate theirneeds.As part of our Strategic Planning,childcare has focused heavilyon succession planning duringthe past 12 months and thishas allowed the Child CareCoordinator to step into otherroles as a relief manager in Homeand Community Care and asActing Manager of CommunityServices. It has also ensuredthat the Child Care Centre hasa minimum of 2 staff trained totake over the Coordinator’s role ifshe is absent.Our centre continues toliaise with early childhoodprofessionals in our local regionand participates in monthlyOtway Early Years Networkmeetings to ensure the smoothflow of communication betweenMaternal Child Health services,Apollo Bay Children’s Centre,Apollo Bay Preschool and ApolloBay P-12 College. This has also ledto increased staff participation inColac and Geelong networks.The implementation of theVictorian Early Years Learningand Development Framework(VEYLDF) has changed the waychildcare centres operate witha push to move away from thebabysitting model of care to acurriculum based educationalsetting. The introduction of thenational Early Years LearningFramework has also seen staffadapt our programming methodsand increased training has beenneeded to keep up to date in allareas.Effort has also gone intobuilding inclusive and culturallydiverse activities into centreprogramming. Staff haveaccomplished this by liaising withthe Barwon Inclusion SupportAgency (BISA) in Geelong andFKA Children’s Services Inc inMelbourne. Two mobile resourcelibraries now visit the centre bimonthlyand provide the centrewith toys, books, posters, musicalCD’s and a number of resources.Staff are also provided withassistance in policy developmentand program implementation.Our staff are very committed tothe centre and continue to setand maintain high standards ofcare. They are looking forward toimplementing further changesdue to the child care regulationsand accreditation system whenthe National Quality Framework isintroduced in 2012.“Over the past nine yearsall three of my children havespent time at the centre andall of them have enjoyed theirexperiences. However, nonemore so than Charlie. Asidefrom spending more time withyou than his brother and sister,he has been fortunate enoughto be enrolled during a time inwhich you have managed theservice and ensured it is staffedwith people who obviously lovetheir work and the childrenthey so beautifully care for.The programming has beenexceptional and helped fosterCharlie’s endless curiosity andpassion for learning; makingfriends and generally having agreat time!Your literacy programs havehelped set him on a path ofcreativity and discovery, andmost importantly everyonewho has cared for Charliehas provided a secure, funenvironment in which he haslearnt how to make friends andset out on his own journey.Charlie will no doubt be backfrom time to time for After-School Care but my entirefamily will miss being part ofthe centre on a regular basis,and we will especially miss thewild and crazy stories Charlieweaves at the dinner table whenhe relays the day’s events.”Feedback received from parents onthe new Shell Room:“Oh, it’s so bright and such a sunnyroom.”“Wow, love the room. Look at allthe new toys!”“Love the outdoor yard and thenew cubby, oh and the lounge!”Otway Health & Community Servicesreport of operations 2010 - 2011