Monitoring, Support And Supervision Of Family Day Care Educators

Purpose
To provide clear guidelines to support FDC Educators to provide quality education and care.

Policy
At FIRST IDEA FAMILY DAY CARE SERVICES, we are committed to assisting educators in their role in caring for and educating children and young people. We are committed to training and professional development, including mentoring and support that caters to each educator’s individual needs.

We are also acutely aware of our responsibility to ensure compliance in accordance with Education and Care legislation; meet the needs of children and their families and support and monitor remote Educators. Supervising educators provides the opportunity to assess the environment and the educator in a range of situations at various times and provides opportunities for the leadership team to build relationships with children and families.

PROCEDURES
Approved Providers and delegates are responsible for:

  • Ensuring, for every 15 educators there is 1 coordinator employed / engaged to support, mentor and monitor educators and educator assistants
  • Ensuring the co-ordinators provide support to the FDC educators at all the times when the children are being educated and cared for
  • Ensuring Coordinators hold a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care
  • Ensuring the appointed Educational Leader is suitability experienced in the development and delivery of educational programs for children
  • Ensure the remotely located educators are attended at least once annually by the co-ordinator
  • Utilising Skype, emails and text messages and telephone to communicate with educators who are remotely located to ensure that the remotely located educators are monitored, supported and supervised reasonably.
  • Reviewing and documenting reports, in relation to outcomes from each home visit, including remotely located educators
  • Utilising reported information and feedback to inform performance and suitability in relation to ‘Assessment of educators, educator assistants and persons residing at the family day care residence and professional development requirements
  • Being contactable by telephone AT ALL TIMES whilst children are in attendance at a service to
  • respond to educator’s requests for assistance and or support (including weekends and overnight)
  • Responding to educator emails within 24 hours of receipt
  • Assisting, through the provision of quarterly newsletters and information, shared information, pertaining to child development, education and child rearing practices to support the educator in working with families and children for development including but not limited to:
    1. the educational program
    2. behaviour guidance strategies
    3. intentional teaching strategies
    4. reflective practice strategies
  • Undertaking an annual performance review (4 weeks within anniversary date) for suitability to continue to work with children

RELATED LEGISLATION

  • Children, Youth and Families Act 2005
  • Family Law Act 1995
  • Health and Safety Act 2004
  • Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 2001
  • Information Privacy Act 2000
  • Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
  • Privacy Act 2000 (Vic.)
  • Working with Children Act 2005

References and resources

  • Department of Education and Training
  • Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
  • Belonging, Being & Becoming – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia:
  • My Time, Our Place – Framework for school age care in Australia
  • Early Childhood Australia – Code of Ethics
  • Early Childhood Australia
  • Criminal History Requirements: Family day care
  • Guide for Family Day Care Educators
  • Delivering children’s programs in a family day care service
  • DEECD Emergency Management Guidelines
  • Department of Education and Training – key obligations and expectations of a Family Day Care Educator
  • Guide to early learning frameworks – Belonging Being and Becoming

REVIEW

POLICY REVIEWED

July 2018

NEXT REVIEW DATE

July 2019

MODIFICATIONS

Policy created for First Idea Family Day Care Services, inclusive of changes to the National Quality Standards and Education and Care National Regulations

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