Yea Children’s Hub

1. Yea Children’s Hub

2. Childcare issues in Yea • Yea childcare issues have been around for a long time. • There is no one organisation or government department responsible for “delivering” childcare • Health data (AEDI) suggests Yea has a much higher number of vulnerable children (families) than anywhere else in Murrindindi • Reliable, in-venue care is ranked 3rd highest in preventative measures to promote mental health in communities

3. Who are the Yea Children’s Hub Steering Committee? • Jane Finlay - volunteer • Olivia Lawson - volunteer • Janine Harrison - volunteer • Elizabeth McQueen - volunteer • Bridget Clarke (Community Health & Wellbeing Development Officer – Yea Hospital) • Maree Boyd - volunteer (Yea Kindergarten President) • Erin Papadopoulos - volunteer • Jo Trantor - volunteer • Rachel DeCaneva – volunteer • Tania Day - volunteer

4. Yea Children’s Hub Steering Committee History • Current group formed in Nov 2010 • Meet for updates and consultation (notes of meetings available) • Engaged a consultant through MSC funding to do a feasibility study around community long day care needs 0-6yrs • Aims to provide reliable, affordable in-venue care and education to 0-8 year olds for Yea and surrounding communities.

5. Survey Results • 62 respondents • Data overwhelmingly supportive of long-day care need • Evidence supports a financially viable centre • Refer Draft Final Report CCC Inc.

6. Survey Results (cont.) • Feedback also suggested health and wellbeing issues e.g. “I feel there is a desperate need for the provision of child care in and around Yea. If this were available it would allow me to increase my work hours and assist in reducing the financial burden and subsequent stress currently felt by our household. It would also allow my husband to reduce his work load a little and give him the opportunity to spend more time with our children.”

7. Governance models

8. Implications for the operating model • Kindergarten committee maintained and enters into a services and lease agreement with council. • New child care incorporated association established. New committee maintains management, operation and licence of child care • The kindergarten and child care service maintain separate DEECD licences. • The two services are collocated – Separate licence and operation models may be barriers for integration • Policies and procedures will need to be developed for each independent service. • No overall management of service • As a consequence of the requirement under the Victorian Regulations for an additional room to grant a license a 0-5 years service (ie 0-3 and 3-5 years rooms) • this model has significant limitations at an operational level if there are two licenses for the site.

10. Features • A new Committee is established or the Yea Kindergarten • Committee expands its purpose and becomes the Committee for all services • This new body will manage all service provision in accordance with one constitution • A sub committee could be retained for each service that reports to the management committee • Single licence and operator will support integration of the programs • Management body has operation, licence and financial liability

11. Implications for the operating model • One organisation manages and operates the education and care services • One lease / service agreement including the development of policies and procedures to enhance integration. • Promotes integration as a single entity which manages both services. • Kindergarten would need to be supported in transferring their operations to a new entity. • Community would need to be supported to establish the new governing body. • Transmission of business process would need to be established including • Transferring child care and kindergarten staff employment and entitlements • Transfer of kindergarten and child care licence • Transfer or development of new a business model • The service will meet the Victorian Regulations for an additional room as there are two rooms operating under the one license

13. Features • External provider contracted as the licensee, funded authority, and employer. Implications for the operating model • Involvement of parents and opportunities for the Kindergarten Committee will depend on the operator • Expression of interest and tender process to be developed for selection of the preferred provider. • Cost of operator versus no cost when operated by a Committee • Operator absolves risks currently borne by volunteers around care of children/employment of staff. In summary, the amalgamation of governance and operations under one community committee of management or an external operator are the recommended governance options for the future of an integrated Yea Children’s Service

14. What do other local childcare models look like? • Kinglake – community managed with single license • centre director with 40% class time, 60% centre management role • board of directors from community with minimum 2yr position, only 50% of the positions change annually

15. Marysville • Same governance model as Kinglake, but much smaller centre

16. Questions? Please phone Bridget Clarke Community Health and Wellbeing Development Officer Yea and District Memorial Hospital 0419 538 589 5736 0479