The year in review
Chairman and CEO’s Report
The past year has been has been one of changes and challenges both for KU and in the early childhood
education and care sector.
Within KU, our ongoing focus has been implementing
the Strategic Plan “Making the KU Difference”. We
have continued to improve the quality of our services
through the “KU Quality Standards” and “Make Us Proud”
Programs, focusing on our environments, curriculum,
relationships, professional development and staff:child
ratios. We have upgraded the physical environment of
many centres and rebranded them with our new signage
and documentation. We have also implemented major IT
system upgrades, including new computers, software and
associated training in every centre. This has paved the
way for the new KU Intranet, finance system and casual
vacancy booking system to come on-line in early 2010.
As well, we have been recognised for our expertise in and
commitment to inclusion. In January, KU commenced
as the National Inclusion Support Subsidy Provider for
the Commonwealth Government, in partnership with
Illawarra Children’s Services and FlowConnect. This
program distributes over $50 million of funding per
annum to support the inclusion of children in approved
services throughout Australia. We also commenced the
construction of the new Commonwealth-funded KU
Marcia Burgess Autism Specific Early Learning and Care
Centre on the site of KU Liverpool Preschool. The Board
took the opportunity to add KU funds to this project to
enable the construction of much-needed new Preschool
facilities as part of an integrated centre on this site.
KU continued to expand with the new KU Kahibah Road
Children’s Centre replacing the old KU Charlestown
KU has again been active in advocacy during the year
Occasional Care Centre in February and KU Black
and was delighted that the National Quality Reforms
Mountain Children’s Centre in the ACT joining KU in
have been adopted by the Council of Australian
April. We were proud that the National Australia Bank
Governments. KU is very proud that the 1:4 staff to child
chose KU to manage a second work-based centre for
ratio for 0-2 year olds, for which KU has been advocating
them: the new Little Stars Centre
over many years, has been
in Melbourne was completed in
implemented in all our
KU is very proud that the 1:4 staff
December and is now open. In
long day care centres
to child ratio for 0-2 year olds has
been implemented in all our long day
October, we were delighted that
from the commencement
care centres from the commencement
the Minister for Early Childhood
of 2010. As well, KU
of
2010.
Education, Child Care and Youth,
policy has required a
used her keynote address at the KU Annual Seminar to
university-qualified early childhood teacher in every
announce KU had won Commonwealth Government
centre, regardless of size, for many years. 62% of KU’s
tenders to design, construct and operate two new centres,
permanent staff already have a minimum of a Certificate
at Queanbeyan South and Faulconbridge in NSW, which
III, including 30% who are university trained early
will open in 2011.
childhood teachers.
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KU Children’s Services