The National Quality Framework (NQF) recognises all children’s capacity and right to succeed regardless of circumstances, cultural background and abilities. Our Inclusion Support Team work collaboratively with Glen Education educators to support families and children who may have a disability or individual support needs to ensure access to inclusive, high-quality education and care.
Glen Education kindergartens are committed to:
- Acknowledging and respecting the rights of all children and ensure they are provided with, and participate in a quality early childhood education and care program
- Creating an environment that supports, reflects and promotes equitable and inclusive behaviours and practices
- Creating a sense of belonging for all children, families and educators, where diverse identities, backgrounds, experiences, skills and interests are respected, valued and given opportunities to be expressed/developed
- Ensuring that programs are reflective of, and responsive to, the values and cultural beliefs of families using the service, and of those within the local/broader community
- Working to ensure children are not discriminated against on the basis of background, ethnicity, culture, language, beliefs, gender, age, socioeconomic status, level of ability or additional needs, family structure or lifestyle
- Ensuring that no employee, prospective employee, parent/guardian, child, volunteer or student at the service is discriminated against on the basis of having or being suspected of having an infectious disease or blood-borne virus
- Upholding the values and principles of Early Childhood Australia (ECA), the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) and Early Childhood Intervention Australia’s (ECIA)
- Consistently updating and supporting the knowledge, skills, practices and attitudes of educators to encourage and ensure inclusion and equity.
Kindergarten Inclusion Support Funding
To access the Kindergarten Inclusion Support program (KIS), the child must be enrolled in a kindergarten program funded by the Department of Education.
The KIS program is designed to contribute to the delivery of quality kindergarten programs in line with the National Quality Framework and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. The program:
- Provides assistance to complement the early childhood education team’s knowledge and skills, while acknowledging their expertise in supporting children’s learning and development
- Supports the early childhood education team to build their capacity to develop and implement an inclusive program
- Supports the early childhood education to contribute to positive outcomes for children, as defined in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework
- Responds to the child’s abilities and strengths, as well as their needs by supporting the kindergarten to enhance their learning and development.
The eligibility criteria for Kindergarten Inclusion Support funding includes:
- The child has a disability as defined by the Disability Act 2006 and ongoing high support needs requiring an additional level support to access and participate in the funded kindergarten program
or - The child is undergoing continuing assessment of a disability, as defined by the Disability Act 2006 and ongoing high support needs requiring an additional level support to access and participate in the funded kindergarten program.
- In the context of the kindergarten program, it must be demonstrated that the functional limitations of the child’s disability meet at least one of the following:
- they are at significant risk of serious injury to self or others and/or
- they are extremely restricted in their capacity for movement and/or
- they have exceptional support needs that require immediate medical intervention for life-threatening situations and the child.
Further information on Kindergarten Inclusion Support is available here:
Help for children with additional needs at kindergarten | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)
