Inclusion Support Agency

Program Coordinator - Roslyn Vos (Acting)

The ISA Sunshine Coast provides support for Commonwealth funded Childcare Services for the inclusion of children with additional needs. "Childcare Services" include Long Day Care and Occasional Care Centres, Family Day Care, In-home Care, Before and After School Care and Vacation Care. "Additional Needs" includes children with a disability, children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and Australian South Sea Islander children.

The ISA employs Inclusion Support Facilitators (ISF’s) to work directly with child care services to build their capacity to include children with additional needs, by:

• Providing or sourcing information and support for the development of effective inclusion strategies in response to child care service needs,
• Assisting services to link up with child care professionals, community groups and organisations who can provide support for inclusion,
• Encouraging and supporting reflective practice, which involves looking at past and current practices to ensure that services continue to achieve positive outcomes for children in their care.

ISA Sunshine Coast's staff have a capacity building role, empowering staff of childcare services with confidence, skills and knowledge to successfully include children with additional needs. In cooperation with Child Care Service staff, ISF’s create a Service Support Plan that assists Child Care staff to work towards successful inclusion. The level of support the ISA provides depends on these needs and is generally for an 8 -12 week period.

Funding may be available for longer term support for staff to include children with a disability with ongoing high support needs. The ISA Sunshine Coast is funded by the Australian Government's Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and is sponsored by Inclusion Plus (To be eligible for this service the child care service must have at least one child who is enrolled who has one of the additional needs mentioned above.)

For further information contact the ISASC on 5441 6600.
Or visit our website www.isasunshinecoast.org.au.