Early Start Kinder at Woodlands policy. ✅

Updated November 14, 2024 04:16

Early Start Kindergarten (ESK):

Early Start Kinder at Woodlands (ESK) is a grant funded by the Department of Education and Training (theDepartment) that provides eligible three-year-old children access to up to 15 hours of free or low cost kindergarten per week, including in areas with funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

This grant is available in both long day care and sessional services where the kindergarten program is delivered by a qualified teacher. A child can be placed in a Three-Year-Old

Kindergarten program, a mixed age program or where early start enrolments are incorporated into a four-year-old program.

What ESK means to families.

If you are legible, it will be flagged in the Kindergarten Information Management System (KIMS). Families will need to provide documentation that supports the Early Start Kinder (ESK) funding application process. Woodlands are able to support your family through this process, however, Woodlands will need to be you Kinder funding provider, and if you are attending council Kinder, then the ESK funding will need to come from them and not through Woodlands.

Procedures: What will you do?

1. Once you have chosen Woodlands to be your chid/ren's Kinder funded provider.

2. Your child's and 2 parents/foster parents/carers will be put into the KIMS portal.

3. It will be flagged in the system or a Kinder representative from the council will contact the service to communicate that your child is legible.

3. Someone from the Leadership team of that Campus will then get in contact with you, to inform you and to see if you are wanting to proceed with the ESK funding process.

4. If so, you will need to provide documentation that supports your ESK funding-
o From a refugee or asylum seeker background.

5. Once you have provided the data to the Campus Leadership team, they will put everything into KIMS and the Campus Leadership will need to wait for the application to be processed and approved from the Department of Education.

6. Once the Department of Education have approved it, and the Campus receives the invoice. The Campus Leadership will send an email to the accounts team.

7. Once the accounts team have communicated that the funds have him Woodlands account- Educational Leader will email the family to confirm payments.

8. It is then the families/foster parents/carers responsibility to communicate to the Education Leader how you want that money spent.

What can you spend the money on?

- Educational resources that will directly support your child's learning development.

- To go towards Excursions that will support your child's learning development.

- Cover child 'gap' fees.

- 'Bicultural educator' that will support your child if English is their second language.

- Professional development, including training related to trauma and culturally safe practices and or resources that support the child's learning.

Links to Framework: Background and legislation:
QA1- Educational program and practice

QA1.	Standard 1.1	Program	The educational program enhances each child’s learning and development.
QA1.	Element 1.1.1	Approved learning framework	Curriculum decision-making contributes to each child’s learning and development outcomes in relation to their identity, connection with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and effectiveness as communicators.
QA1.	Element 1.1.2	Child-centred	Each child’s current knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of the program.
QA1.	Element 1.1.3	Program learning opportunities.	All aspects of the program, including routines, are organised in ways that maximise opportunities for each child’s learning.

QA5- Relationships with children.

QA 5	Element 5.1.1	Positive educator to child interactions	Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included.
QA 5	Element 5.1.2	Dignity and rights of the child.	The dignity and rights of every child are maintained.
QA 5	Standard 5.2	Relationships between children	Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships.