Information for Families
Have you been asked to fill out some forms from us recently and want to know what the program is about?
Inclusion is important when supporting children and everyone benefits from its affects.
Every child has the right to be included. Through true inclusive practice, educators are able to provide opportunities for children to develop and learn skills through playing alongside their same-age peers and provide opportunities for children to build confidence and a sense of self and belonging to a group.
When a child is included, you will notice how they can confidently engage in play with peers and are supported to explore their worlds to make new discoveries. You will see them being encouraged to build independence and self-help skills and to take part in the program. They will develop a sense of who they are, and of belonging within the group.
What is an Inclusion Professional?
Gowrie SA Inclusion Professionals (IP’s) provide free advice and support to eligible early childhood education and care services, including Centre-based Day Care, Outside School Hours Care and Family Day Care services. This support is provided when requested by the service. IP’s help educators to develop a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) which identifies both barriers to children’s inclusion and strategies to overcome them. The SIP not only takes your child into account but also identifies the inclusion needs of each child and how educators can support them.
What does an Inclusion Professional do?
IP’s support educators to critically reflect upon policies and practices, and identify opportunities for positive and effective changes to be made and identify any resources they require to achieve this. They also provide access to specialist equipment library. IP’s will provide tailored advice and support that is practicable to the educators as they build their understanding of inclusion. They can also engage educators in networking opportunities. Finally, they can work with services to apply for funding support relevant to the service’s needs to support all children within the room.
What doesn’t an Inclusion Professionals do?
IP’s roles are not to assess or work with individual children to determine disabilities. They do not provide services with access to specialist equipment required for ongoing therapy needs. This also relates to instructing service’s on what resources they must use. The IP will also not complete funding applications for a service.
Inclusion happens when educators:
- Have strong leadership who support them in their practice.
- Think about how inclusive their practices are as a team
- Support children to learn from and communicate with each other
- Value children and view them as competent and capable
- Recognise each child’s unique needs, and plan programs informed by this
- Build strong relationships with all children and families
- Encourage children to develop confidence make choices about play and be independent
Parent consent forms
There are two parent consent forms that you may be asked to fill out and sign. They each have a different purpose.
- Gowrie SA Inclusion Agency (IA) Request For Service
- Provides permission for educators to share information about your child with an Inclusion Professional and discuss strategies to support them.
- Department of Education Consent – Permission to share personal information for the purposes of the Inclusion Support Program
- Provides permission for information about your child to be included in any applications made by the service to access Inclusion Development Funding on the Australian Government Department of Education Inclusion Support Portal.
