The scale of the Best Start, Best Life reforms means some degree of change at every service, whether your service is a large provider with multiple programs, or a small kindergarten with a parent-run committee of management.
The way your service approaches making changes to deliver more hours of kindergarten will depend on what is right for your service and community.
When you are considering how to increase your program hours, your local Early Childhood Improvement Branch(opens in a new window) can help you to explore:
- changes to your program modelling, such as through multi-age or rotational groups
- grants, supports and initiatives available for new and expanded facilities, and to improve existing facilities.
This advice will be tailored to the characteristics of your service, and your unique circumstances.
Your local Early Childhood Improvement Branch can also talk to you about the measures in place to provide support for services to attract and retain the early childhood workforce, including:
- a Best Start, Best Life communications campaign to encourage people from all backgrounds to choose careers in early childhood education
- scholarships, upskill programs for educators, innovative initial teacher education, tertiary partnerships, traineeships and access to Free TAFE to improve the accessibility and quality of pre-service training
- financial incentives and recruitment supports, as well as induction and mentoring supports for early career teachers, to enhance the transition from study to practice for the current workforce
- professional development and career supports, including coaching, communities of practice, and Early Years Learning Networks, and programs to enhance leadership and career development.
Resources
- Shaping the Best Start, Best Life reforms:(opens in a new window) to see the infrastructure and workforce strategies
- Early childhood grants:(opens in a new window) for information about Building Blocks and other early childhood infrastructure grants
- Directory of programs:(opens in a new window) for current workforce programs across the 6 areas for action in the strategy
- Career opportunities and support:(opens in a new window) for information about job opportunities and support available for anyone interested in a career in early childhood education.
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