Yea Children’s Hub

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

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

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.

Survey Results

• 62 respondents

• Data overwhelmingly supportive of long-day care need

• Evidence supports a financially viable centre

• Refer Draft Final Report CCC Inc.

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.”

Governance models

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.

Amalgamate governance and operations

Amalgamated model - Community Management

Committee of Management

(Inc Assoc)

Kindergarten Subcommittee

Child care subcommittee

Newly formed

Committee

Current Kindergarten Committee

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

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

Amalgamate governance and operations

Externally Contracted Management

Management Body

Kindergarten and Childcare

Staff

On Site Manager/Co-ordinator

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

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

• Marysville

- Same governance model as Kinglake, but much smaller centre

Questions?

Please phone Bridget Clarke

Community Health and Wellbeing

Development Officer

Yea and District Memorial Hospital

0419 538 589

5736 0479