Professional Development Program,
the SET also provided training to non-
KU organisations across the state in
Campbelltown, Goulburn, Liverpool,
Newcastle, Penrith, Queanbeyan and
Young. This included a collaborative
program funded by the Department of
Ageing, Disability and Home Care [DADHC]
and administered through Newcastle
University where we co-authored and
delivered training to all DADHC funded
early childhood programs across NSW.
The SET will continue to participate
in this highly successful training
program during 2008.
Our DADHC funded Speech Pathology
Program provided services for 110
children in the Eastern Sydney area and
this included assessments to secure
funding to support their inclusion. The
Communicating With Friends program
commenced in 2007, will continue
through 2008 and will eventually lead to
the distribution of training and resources
to all KU centre staff in adopting a Total
Communication Approach to enhance
the communication and social skills of
young children.
The Supplementary Recurrent Assistance
Indigenous Education program supported
53 children to improve educational
outcomes for indigenous children. A new
initiative, the Koori Play & Chat playgroup
at KU Hebersham Preschool commenced
in 2007 and supported 5 c hildren in its
first year. The Department of Education
Science and Training provided $10,000 of
resources to support indigenous children
in 24 KU preschools.
Northern Sydney SCAN
“Supporting Children with Additional
Needs” (SCAN) assists children with
additional needs to have equal access
with all other children to a quality early
childhood or vacation care experience. KU
manages the Northern Sydney SCAN for
DoCS, one of 10 providers in the 14 NSW
SCAN areas.
Northern Sydney Scan supports 89
preschools (including 28 KU preschools)
and10 Occasional Child Care Centres. 286
visits to services were made to services
with a total of 799 children being funded
in 85 centres. As an outcome of the
assistance of the SCAN program, many
of the children’s level of support needs
improve, and no longer require funding
by the end of the year.
KU provides a consultant 2 days per
week to support services (an initiative
not offered by all SCAN organisations)
and a part time Aboriginal Education
Consultant to support services in Northern
Sydney SCAN. The Aboriginal Education
Consultant is the main point of contact
for the six preschools, including two
KU preschools, which participate in the
ACCESS Project; an initiative to increase
the enrolments of children from Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
As part of a ‘Cultural Exchange Project’
a Director from Northern Sydney and
a Director of an Aboriginal Preschool
in Brewarrina, northern NSW, spent a
week in each other’s centres engaging
with staff, children and families to gain
deeper insight and understanding of each
other’s cultures.
The current contract to manage the
program will end in June 2009. The
program is now under review as part of
the agenda of the Preschool Investment
and Reform Plan Working Group.
Family Programs
KU Family Programs are funded by a
range of Federal and State government
departments to provide specific support
to families with young children who
have been identified as vulnerable.
This support is largely delivered in
the context of Supported Playgroups
and comes at no cost to the family. It
includes play sessions designed to
increase parent-child engagement,
the provision of parenting and child
development information in a relaxed,
welcoming setting, the availability
of specific services from professionals
including Speech Pathologists and
Family Workers. The groups are staffed,
supported and equipped to the same high
quality standard as all other KU services.
During 2007, staff worked with
approximately 400 families in 22 Local
KU’s 112 Annual Report 2007
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