For ECEC Services

Supporting Early Childhood Education and Care Services

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services that are eligible for support through the program are services that have been approved by the Department of Education for the provision of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) under the Family Assistance Law. Eligible services include:

Centre-based Day Care; Long Day Care and Occasional Care (except Specialist Services)
Outside of School Hours Care; before school, after school, and vacation care
Family Day Care

The WA Inclusion Agency can help you by:

Providing site visits to observe and discuss strengths, challenges, and barriers to inclusion.
Assisting Educators to reflect on and learn about inclusive practices and attitudes and understand and support diversity.
Providing practical support and strategies.
Assisting services to link in with community supports.
Collaborating to develop Strategic Inclusion Plans and supporting the subsequent review process.
Facilitating access to the Inclusion Support Portal and Inclusion Support Program supports.
Facilitating access to the Specialist Equipment Library.

The Specialist Equipment Library

Communicare offers a range of specialist equipment for children with additional support needs. Our library of equipment includes specialist seating, toilet frames, sensory equipment, communication support, toys, hoists, slings, trays and ramps.

The Specialist Equipment Library

The Inclusion Support (IS) Portal

The IS Portal is an online platform used by ECEC services to develop their Strategic Inclusion Plan and apply for funding from the Inclusion Development Fund if needed.

Access the IS Portal

ECEC representatives can use their existing PRODA credentials to apply for access to the IS Portal. ECEC services identify an Authorised Access Delegate for the IS Portal. The Access Delegate, once approved, has the authority to approve other IS Users from their service.

Strategic Inclusion Plans

ECEC services receiving support from an Inclusion Agency must develop a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP), in collaboration with their Inclusion Professional. The SIP is an inclusion assessment tool that includes short and long term strategies for improving and embedding inclusive practices. The SIP is ‘living’ document. It is implemented, updated on a regular basis, and reviewed within a 12-month period.

The SIP works on a strengths-based approach to develop goals and strategies that will help Educators feel confident in welcoming all families with diverse needs into their service.

SIPs also identify if additional support is needed from the Inclusion Support Program, such as specialist equipment or Inclusion Development Funding.

The Inclusion Development Fund

Four streams of funding are available through the Inclusion Development Fund (IDF). These streams address barriers that cannot be resolved with support from an Inclusion Agency alone.

IDF Subsidy for Immediate/Time Limited Support:  Funding to immediately engage an additional Educator for a time limited period.

IDF Subsidy for an Additional Educator: Funding to increase the educator-to-child ratio in an environment to support the inclusion of a child or children with a disability and/or undergoing assessment for a disability.

IDF Subsidy for a Family Day Care Top Up:  The IDF FDC Top Up provides a fee top up payment to an Educator who is including a child with ongoing high support needs, where due to the child’s significant additional support requirements, the educator is unable to enrol the maximum number of children allowed under the National Law.

IDF – Innovative Solutions Support:  This is a flexible funding option to allow services to fund an innovative solution to address barriers to inclusion.  For example, specialist advice on including a child with additional needs, translating services or Indigenous language and cultural support projects.

Next Steps

To get inclusion support services must:

Complete and sign the Request for Inclusion Support Form

Ask the parent or legal guardian to complete and sign the Parent Information and Consent Form*

Submit both forms to the WA Inclusion Agency at info@wainclusionagency.org.au.

*For requests that relate to the care environment or Strategic Inclusion Plan support only, the parent information and consent form is not required. If children are named in a request for support, then parents must give permission by completing the Parent Information and Consent Form.