April 2025

APRIL 2025

As the seasons shift and we welcome the crisp beauty of Autumn, it’s a natural time for reflection, preparation, and connection – values long honoured by the Noongar people during Djeran.  This time invites us to slow down, take stock, and prepare for the months ahead, both in our personal lives and in our work with children.  In this edition, you’ll find updates on upcoming training, information about changes to the Educator Levy, a spotlight on recent policy changes, and inspiring moments from our amazing Educator community.  We’re so proud of the role each of you plays in shaping Nature Alliance into a service known for its heart, quality, and care! Thank you for being a part of something truly special.

WELCOME

We are very happy to welcome back Katrina Travia who had a baby and then moved house from Perth to Dunsborough! Needless to say she has been a very busy woman! We are thrilled to be working with you again Katrina and we have no doubt you will be as happy in Dunsborough as you were in Perth! 

NATURE ALLIANCE EDUCATOR LEVY

From 7^th July 2025, Nature Alliance’s Educator Levy will increase to $1.75 per hour.  With the usual CCS changes occurring in July, now is a good time to review your current fees and submit updated fee schedule templates to the office if needed.  Don’t forget to give families at least two weeks’ notice before making any fee changes.  As always, we’re here to support if you have any questions.

 SAVE THE DATE – BEHAVIOUR WORKSHOP WITH KELLY OLDFIELD

📅 Date: Monday, 5^th May 2025
⏰ Time: 6:30 PM
📍 Location: Geraldton (7 Mitra Place, Geraldton) + Online Streaming

(We acknowledge that the wrong details were put into the last newsletter!! 🙈)

For those who have attended both of Kelly’s workshops, we are sure you will agree that they are getting better and better! The 3rd of these 4 workshops will focus on Reducing Challenging Behaviour Through Authentic Relationships.  Kelly will provide tools for you to build meaningful relationships with children, help you focus on developing strong interactions to support positive behaviour management and provide practical strategies for creating consistent routines and predictable expectations for children.  You will walk away feeling empowered and confident that you can foster positive behaviours through intentional engagement.  

FAMILY DAY CARE AUSTRALIA CAPABILITY TRIAL

Last month we shared the exciting news that Nature Alliance Family Day Care was accepted to participate in the FDCA Capability Trial.  As part of the Trial, we’ve also been invited to take the next step in supporting innovation and growth within Family Day Care! We will be required to engage a group of 10 to 20 Educators and families to participate in trialing a digital attendance verification system.  We’re now reaching out to see who might be interested in being a part of this exciting stage! If you would like to be involved or find out more about what’s involved, please get in touch with Jo G – we would love to have you on board!

NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME

Just a reminder that National Simultaneous Storytime is happening on Wednesday, 21 May 2025 at 10:00! We’re looking forward to hearing all about the wonderful experiences you create with your children to bring the book The Truck Cat to life on the day! Don’t forget to tag us in any social media posts!

MANDATORY REPORTING TRAINING

Keeping children safe is at the heart of everything we do.  That’s why all Educators are required to renew their Mandatory Reporting Training annually.  Not only is this a policy requirement, but it’s about staying confident and up-to-date in recognising and responding to signs of abuse or neglect.  The refresher helps us all feel clear about our responsibilities, ensures we follow current procedures, and reinforces our shared commitment to child safety and wellbeing.  You should be receiving reminders from FDSee about when your training is due, so please ensure you renew it before your current qualification expires.  The course is available here.  Don’t forget to forward your certificate to us upon completion so that we can update our records.

UPDATED POLICIES

The following Policies have been updated and will be delivered to you at your next support visit.  You can also find them on the website:

• Policy 1.3  – Water Safety Policy (V8)
• Policy 1.7 – Child Safe Environment (V9)
• Policy 5.2 – Excursions, Irregular & Regular Outings (V5)
• Policy 5.3 – Transportation & Safe Arrival of Children (V3)
• Policy 26 – Monitoring, Support & Supervision of FDC Educators & Ed Assistants (V7)

RETHINKING PROCESSED MEATS FOR HEALTHIER LUNCHES

(Adapted from Additive Alert by Julie Eady)

Processed meats like ham, polony, salami and chicken loaf are a common lunch go-to – but many of these contain nitrates, nitrites, artificial colours, flavour enhancers (like MSG), and vegetable gums such as Carrageenan (407).  These additives have raised health concerns, and when combined with the high fat and salt content of these products, they’re best enjoyed occasionally rather than on a regular basis.  A few simple changes can make a big difference.  Try limiting processed meats to once a week and swap them out for real, additive-free options like roast chicken, lamb or beef you’ve cooked yourself.  These not only taste better, but they’re also healthier and safer – especially for children.  Get creative with other sandwich fillings too – think cheese, egg or fresh salad – and enjoy the variety while giving little bodies the best start.

2025 NATIONAL AUTISM PARENT & CARER SURVEY REPORT RESULTS

This is not just a report….this is what it looks like when parents and carers of autistic children and adults tell it like it is!  

More than 1,200 families from across Australia have opened up about what it’s really like to navigate diagnosis delays, education systems that aren’t equipped, and a NDIS that too often misses the mark.

The 2025 National Autism Parent & Carer Survey Report brings their voices together – not just as a snapshot of the system, but as a powerful push for change. And the findings are damning.

• A third of all families wait more than two years for a diagnosis – a 70% increase from 2014.
• Three in four (76.6%) of families have no choice but to pay thousands for a private assessment, public systems are not available. 
• Nearly two thirds (61%) of families report experiencing school refusal. 
• A staggering 87% of parents list their child’s mental health as their top concern in school.
• In adulthood, 40.3% are unemployed, 66.2% struggle to cope in work, and nearly 80% continue living at home due to limited housing and independence options.

This report is for everyone who wants to understand – and improve – what life looks like for autistic Australians today. As an FDC Educator how can you support families as they navigate this journey? There are many, many professional development opportunities available and increasingly online for easy access. By accessing, listening and learning you will have some vital tools ready if needed. It may be that you are available and listening, you may be encouraging them to reach out to their GP or you may be working alongside professionals who are already supporting a child. The importance has never been greater to support children to become the best they can be.  

RISK ASSESSMENTS (more updates🙈!)

You will notice that the version number of the Risk Assessment template will be changing soon. The changes are minor so please don’t resubmit any risk assessments, these changes are only for any NEW risk assessments.  Due to the ever changing focus of ECRU officers, we feel that it’s in your best interests to transfer information from an expired risk assessment onto a blank template whenever they are due for renewal.  This will ensure that all relevant sector updates are included on renewed RAs, eg. the addition of “Check Harmony prior to departure”. The Risk Assessment Considerations document should also be referred to when reviewing your risk assessments. There has also been some confusion about which date to refer to when considering the expiry date and it has been confirmed that it will be 12 months from the date that your ESO signs off on the risk assessment.  Please don’t let these constant changes stop you from going out, your ESO is more than happy to help you keep on top of compliance!

PARENT AUTHORISATIONS FOR IRREGULAR OUTINGS

Please be aware that it is a Regulatory Requirement that the Parent Authorisation for Irregular Outings MUST HAVE THE ACTUAL DATE OF THE OUTING on it.  In the column Reason / Proposed Activities / Dates & Time child will be away / Additional Comments please ensure that you have included the actual date of the outing. If you are struggling to make this fit on your template please speak to your ESO for some ideas on how best to do this.

WORD OF THE DAY

Inclusion – So you might think that inclusion only focuses on children with disabilities, however it might surprise you that this also involves taking into account all children’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, sexual identity, family circumstances and geographic location) in curriculum decision-making processes. The intent is also to ensure that all children have equitable access to resources and participation. This means creating environments where every child feels valued, supported, and able to fully engage in learning and play. As Educators, it’s about recognising and celebrating each child’s unique identity and adapting our practices to meet their individual needs.

PLAYGROUPS IN THE SOUTH WEST

Our journey through Playgroup continues and it has been delightful to observe the children starting to build social connections between each other. Opportunity to network with other Educators is deeply beneficial and Educators attending Playgroup are starting to enjoy the positive outcomes of spending time with likeminded people, sharing ideas and a laugh. We celebrated Easter together and the egg hunt was enjoyed immensely. A huge thank you to Colleen for her kind donation of the eggs.

We are still exploring loose parts, and I hope in the future to have a mobile scrap play pod of recycled and loose parts that children can access and build from each month. Rather than focusing on process art with an end result, our Playgroup is striving to embed sustainability into our children. What could have gone to landfill is now enjoy continuously and has endless possibilities. What could recycled plastic seats, bits of wood, rope, a tarp and many other things become in a child’s mind? Could it be a bus where the tickets are the leaves collected from the ground? Could it be a boat and the tarp is the water? Our imagination is only limited by us, if we choose not to look deeper things stay as they are, single use and easily discarded. But if we dig deeper, strive to be better and instill in our children what the possibilities could be, we will have committed and passionate children who will grow up with amazing imaginations and a better planet. Collecting random junk shall continue and the inspiring creations made by the children will lead the way, watch this space 😊

OFFICE HOURS

Our office hours are 8.30am to 4.30pm. If you have a query outside of these hours, please phone and leave a message. If you need to speak with someone in an emergency, please ring Jo Georgiou and if your call is not answered immediately, leave a message and your call will be returned.

 PHONE NUMBERS

Sandra / Mandy: 0431 449 567 (Mon – Fri); Joy: 0429 030 362 (Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri); Jo C: 0477 029 531 (Mon – Fri); Jo G: 0477 029 132 (Mon – Thurs); Lea: 0477 029 228 (Mon, Tue, Thurs & Fri). To ensure that we respond to your emails promptly please send your queries to: info@naturealliancefdc.com.au  

“We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.”

Benjamin Franklin