Inclusion and Equity Policy

Best Practice – Quality Areas 1-7 – 2022 V1

Purpose

This policy will provide guidelines to:

ensure all adults and children at Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. are treated equitably and with respect, regardless of their background, ethnicity, culture, language, beliefs, gender, age, socioeconomic status, level of ability, additional needs, family structure or lifestyle.
promote inclusive practices and ensure the successful participation of all children at Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. .

Policy statement

1. Values

Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. is committed to:

acknowledging and respecting the rights of all children to be 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 staff, 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 community and broader society
working to ensure children are not discriminated against on the basis of background, ethnicity, culture, language, beliefs, gender, age, socioeconomic status, health status, level of ability or additional needs, family structure or lifestyle.

2. Scope

This policy applies to the Approved Provider, Persons with Management or Control, Nominated Supervisor, Person in day-to-day Charge, staff, students on placement, volunteers, parents/guardians, children and others attending the programs and activities of Moriac Pre School Centre Inc.

3. Background and legislation

Background

The National Quality Framework (NQF) recognises all children’s capacity and right to succeed regardless of diverse circumstances, cultural background and abilities. Education and care services must hold high expectations for the learning and development of all children, and at the same time recognise that every child follows an individual learning path and will progress in different and equally meaningful ways. Inclusion involves considering children’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, family circumstances and geographic location) in curriculum decision-making processes. Early childhood education and care services must implement responsive, equitable, individualised opportunities and additional support whenever barriers are identified.

The NQF is underpinned by a commitment to ‘Closing the Gap’ and acknowledges Australia is a nation of great diversity, and an ancient land that has been cared for by Indigenous Australians for many thousands of years. Education and care services have a shared responsibility to support children, families, colleagues and the local community to understand, respect and value diversity.

State and Commonwealth laws prohibit discrimination based on personal characteristics, including race, age, gender, religious belief, disability or illness and parental status.

Under the Child Safe Standards, services are expected to provide environments and activities that encourage all children to participate in and celebrate their identity. The standards are underpinned by three overarching principles which require services to take into consideration the increased vulnerability of Aboriginal children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and children with disabilities.

The Victorian Government requires funded organisations to ensure that their policies and procedures promote equality of opportunity for all children to enable their full participation in kindergarten. A service’s philosophy should reflect the values of inclusion and equity which are supported by developing and implementing an inclusion and equity policy. Developing professional knowledge and skills and using family-centred practice (refer to Definitions) to work in partnership with children, families, communities, and other services and agencies, will assist services to identify, include and support children with additional needs and their families.

Legislation and standards

Relevant legislation and standards include but are not limited to:

Age Discrimination Act 2004
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic)
Charter for Children in Out-of-home Care (Vic)
Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic)
Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic)
Child Safe Standards (Vic)
Dardee Boorai: the Victorian Charter of Safety and Wellbeing for Aboriginal Children and Young People (Vic)
Disability Act 2006 (Vic)
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic)
Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
Health Records Act 2001 (Vic)
Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic)
National Quality Standards Quality Areas 1-7
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic)
Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth)
Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth)

4. DEFINITIONS

The terms defined in this section relate specifically to this policy. For commonly used terms e.g. Approved Provider, Nominated Supervisor, Regulatory Authority etc. refer to the General Definitions section of this manual.

Additional needs: A broad term relating to challenges experienced across several areas including physical health, mental health, disability, developmental concern, or emotional need (resulting from trauma, abuse or grief), family displacement (due to war or refugee status), domestic violence, mental illness, family separation or divorce, which affects a person’s ability to participate or learn.

Culture: The values and traditions of groups of people that are passed from one generation to another.

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD): Refers to individuals and groups who are from diverse racial, religious, linguistic and/or ethnic backgrounds.

Developmental delay: A delay in the development of a child under the age of 6 years that:

is attributable to a mental or physical impairment, or a combination of mental and physical impairments, and
is manifested before the child attains the age of 6 years, and
results in substantial functional limitations in one or more of the following areas of major life activity:
1. self-care
1. receptive and expressive language
1. cognitive development
1. motor development, and
reflects the child’s need for a combination and sequence of special interdisciplinary or generic care, treatment or other services that are of extended duration and are individually planned and
co-ordinated (Disability Act 2006 (Vic)).

Disability: In relation to a person, refers to:

a sensory, physical or neurological impairment or acquired brain injury, or any combination thereof, that:
- is, or is likely to be, permanent, and
- causes a substantially reduced capacity in at least one of the areas of self-care,
  self-management, mobility or communication, and
- requires significant ongoing or long-term episodic support, and
- is not related to ageing, or
an intellectual disability, or
a developmental delay (Disability Act 2006 (Vic)).

Diversity: Refers to all characteristics that make individuals different from one another, including race, religion, language, ethnicity, beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, level of ability, additional needs, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, personality, marital and/or parental status, family structure, lifestyle and general life/work experience.

Early Start Kindergarten: A funding program that enables three-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and children known to Child Protection, to attend a free kindergarten program that is planned and delivered by an early childhood teacher for a specific number of hours.

Equity: (In the context of human rights) is the behaviour of acting in a fair and just manner towards others.

Family-centred practice: Practice which:

uses families’ understanding of their children to support shared decision-making about each child’s learning and development
creates a welcoming and culturally-inclusive environment, where all families are encouraged to participate in and contribute to children’s learning and development
actively engages families and children in planning children’s learning and development
provides feedback to families on each child’s learning and provide information about how families can further advance children’s learning and development at home and in the community.

Inclusion: The engagement and involvement of children and families to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity to participate and achieve their maximum potential.

Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS): A state government subsidy paid directly to the funded service to enable eligible families to attend a funded kindergarten program or funded three-year-old place at no cost (or minimal cost) to promote participation. Details are available in The Kindergarten Guide (refer to Sources).

Kindergarten Inclusion Support Packages: A package of support for children with a disability and high support needs and/or with complex medical needs.

Mental health in early childhood can be understood as a young child’s ability to experience, regulate and express emotions; form close and secure interpersonal relationships; and explore the environment and learn – all in the context of family, community and cultural expectations for young children. Infant mental health is synonymous with healthy social and emotional development (from KidsMatter – refer to Sources).

Out-of-Home Care: Is the term used in Victoria when a child or young person is placed in care away from their parents. It includes placement in kinship care, home-based care such as foster care and residential care. For these children, the State of Victoria is their legal their parent, and with this comes the responsibilities of a parent to care for and protect them, and to ensure that they have access to all the services they need for their immediate and longer-term benefit (Early Childhood Agreement on Out-of-Home Care – refer to Sources).

5. Sources and related policies

Sources

Early Childhood Agreement for Children in Out-of-Home Care (March 2014). Signed by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, the Department of Human Services, Municipal Association of Victoria and Early Learning Association Australia. www.education.vic.gov.au
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) and Early Childhood Intervention Australia’s (ECIA) Position Statement on the Inclusion of Children with a Disability in Early Childhood Education and Care – available at: Search ‘statement on inclusion of children with disability’ at: www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-work/inclusion-resources/
fka Children’s Services www.fka.com.au
Guide to the National Quality Framework: www.acecqa.gov.au
Guide to the National Quality Standard: www.acecqa.gov.au
KidsMatter: Home – Be You
The Kindergarten Funding Guide (DET): www.education.vic.gov.au
Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework Principle Practice Guide 1: Family-centred and Practice Guide Four: Equity and Diversity: www.education.vic.gov.au

Service policies

Anaphylaxis Policy
Asthma Policy
Child Safe Environment Policy
Code of Conduct Policy
Complaints and Grievances Policy
Curriculum Development Policy
Dealing with Infectious Diseases Policy
Dealing with Medical Conditions Policy
Diabetes Policy
Enrolment and Orientation Policy
Epilepsy Policy
Excursions and Service Events Policy
Fees Policy
Interactions with Children Policy
Nutrition and Active Play Policy
Privacy and Confidentiality Policy
Staffing Policy

Procedures

The Approved Provider and Persons with Management or Control are responsible for:

ensuring that service programs are available and accessible to families from a variety of backgrounds (refer to Curriculum Development Policy)
encouraging collaborative, family-centred practice (refer to Definitions) at the service which facilitates the inclusion and active participation of both the child and the family at the service
providing families with information about the support options available for children attending Moriac Pre School Centre Inc.
ensuring that educational programs are delivered in accordance with an approved learning framework, are based on the developmental needs, interests and experiences of each child, and take into account the individual differences of each child (Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework Practice Guide Four: Equity and Diversity – refer to Sources)
ensuring that the enrolment process is fair and equitable, and facilitates access for all children (refer to Enrolment and Orientation Policy)
tailoring the orientation process to meet the individual needs of children and families (refer to Enrolment and Orientation Policy)
identifying the barriers to participation in service programs and activities, and developing strategies to overcome these barriers
ensuring that facilities are designed or adapted to support access by every child, family, educator and staff member, including adaptive equipment to support the inclusion of all children
ensuring that staff have access to appropriate and accredited professional development activities that promote a positive understanding of diversity, inclusion and equity, and provide skills to assist in implementing this policy (refer to Staffing Policy)
ensuring that the Nominated Supervisor and all staff are aware of the service’s expectations regarding positive, respectful and appropriate behaviour when working with children and families (refer to Code of Conduct Policy and Interactions with Children Policy)
considering any issues regarding fees that may be a barrier to families enrolling at Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. and removing these barriers wherever possible (refer to Fees Policy)
ensuring that all eligible families are supported to access the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (refer to Definitions and Fees Policy), including families with concession cards, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and refugee and asylum seeker families
providing service information in various community languages wherever possible
using language services (refer to Sources) to assist with communication where required and considering the employment of a multilingual worker/s to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families
working with the Nominated Supervisor and educators to ensure appropriate program planning and resourcing for children with additional needs (refer to Definitions)
where practicable, accessing resources, support and professional development to facilitate inclusion of children with additional needs who are ineligible for specific support packages
ensuring collaborative relationships with specialised services and professionals to provide support and services for families and children with a disability, complex medical needs and/or developmental delay
ensuring that all eligible three-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children known to Child Protection are supported to access the Early Start Kindergarten program (refer to Definitions)
implementing appropriate programs and practices to support vulnerable children and families, including working co-operatively with relevant services and/or professionals, where required (refer to Child Safe Environment Policy)
ensuring that service programs are inclusive of all children with medical conditions
ensuring that no employee, prospective employee, parent/guardian, child, volunteer or student at the service is discriminated against
ensuring that any behaviour or circumstances that may constitute discrimination or prejudice are dealt with in an appropriate manner (refer to Complaints and Grievances Policy)
ensuring that all policies of Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. , including the Privacy and Confidentiality Policy, are always adhered to.

The Nominated Supervisor and Persons in Day-to-Day Charge are responsible for:

ensuring that the service provides a safe, inclusive and empowering environment which celebrates diversity through positive, respectful and appropriate behaviour when working with children and families (refer to Code of Conduct Policy and Interactions with Children Policy)
ensuring the diversity and interests of the children, families and staff are reflected in the physical environment
ensuring that cultural values and expectations about health and wellbeing are respected
providing an educational program that is reflective of the service’s values, beliefs and philosophy, and embraces the principles of fairness, equity, diversity and inclusion (Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework Practice Guide Four: Equity and Diversity – refer to Sources)
identifying children with additional needs
being aware of support and resources available to ensure that children are included in service programs
ensuring that service programs are inclusive of all children with medical conditions
using family-centred practice (refer to Definitions) and working collaboratively with staff, parents/guardians, specialist services and other professionals to implement the program at the service and provide individualised support for children
providing information to families about the support available to assist children
providing opportunities for families to contribute to the program as key partners
ensuring that parents/guardians are consulted, kept informed and provide written consent, where individualised programs, action, support or intervention are planned and provided for their child
responding to the needs and concerns of parents/guardians, and providing support and guidance, where appropriate
working with educators to ensure appropriate program planning and resourcing for children with additional needs (refer to Definitions)
providing support and guidance to educators/staff
organising appropriate resources and accredited professional development for staff to enable all children to be included at the service
developing links with other services and/or professionals to support children with additional needs and where required have referral pathways in place
ensuring that the program provides opportunities for all children to participate and interact with one another
using language services (refer to Sources) to assist with communication, where required
ensuring that individualised programs incorporate opportunities for regular review and evaluation, in consultation with all people involved in the child’s education and care
providing information to families about local parenting and family services, and other resources that are available to support the health and wellbeing of children and families
developing partnerships with other education and care settings and schools to enable children to move successfully from one setting to another
notifying the Approved Provider of any behaviour or circumstances that may constitute discrimination, bullying, harassment or prejudice
ensuring that no employee, prospective employee, parent/guardian, child, volunteer or student at the service is discriminated against
ensuring that any behaviour or circumstances that may constitute discrimination or prejudice are dealt with in an appropriate manner (refer to Complaints and Grievances Policy)
ensuring that all policies of Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. , including the Privacy and Confidentiality Policy, are always adhered to.

All other staff are responsible for:

supporting the participation and inclusion of all children in the program at the service
being aware of the service’s expectations regarding positive, respectful and appropriate behaviour when working with children and families (refer to Code of Conduct Policy and Interactions with Children Policy)
using family-centred practice (refer to Definitions) and working collaboratively with other staff, parents/guardians, specialist services and professionals to implement the program at the service and provide individualised support for children, where required
delivering an educational program that is reflective of the service’s values, beliefs and philosophy, and embraces the principles of fairness, equity, diversity and inclusion (Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework Practice Guide Four: Equity and Diversity – refer to Sources)
embedding social and emotional learning in the service program and practice
providing a range of opportunities in the outdoor and indoor spaces and the natural environment, for all children to engage in physical, explorative and creative experiences
encouraging and supporting educators, staff and families as role models to demonstrate positive and respectful relationships
undertaking appropriate, accredited professional development to support the inclusion of all children at the service
using language services to assist with communication, where required
understanding and respecting different cultural child-rearing and social practices
working with the Approved Provider and Nominated Supervisor to ensure appropriate program planning and resourcing for children with additional needs (refer to Definitions)
meeting any specialised medical and nutritional needs of children on a day-to-day basis (refer to Dealing with Medical Conditions Policy and Nutrition and Active Play Policy)
providing information to families about the support available to assist children
discussing any concerns regarding individual children with the Nominated Supervisor or Approved Provider, and parents/guardians
responding to the needs and concerns of parents/guardians, and providing support and guidance, where appropriate
reviewing and evaluating individualised support programs in consultation with all people involved in the child’s education and care
critically reflecting on practice to ensure that interactions and programs embrace an approach in which children and families feel valued and respected, and that their contributions are welcomed
notifying the Nominated Supervisor or Approved Provider of any behaviour or circumstances that may constitute discrimination or prejudice
adhering to the policies of Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. , including the Privacy and Confidentiality Policy, always.

Parents/guardians are responsible for:

adhering to the policies of Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. , including the Inclusion and Equity Policy and the Privacy and Confidentiality Policy, always
communicating with the service to ensure awareness of their child’s specific needs
raising any issues or concerns regarding their child’s participation in the program
responding to requests from educators for written permission to arrange for an assessment or collect reports on their child from service providers
being involved in, keeping fully informed about, and providing written consent for any individualised intervention or support proposed/provided for their child.

Volunteers and students, while at the service, are responsible for following this policy and its procedures.

Evaluation

To assess whether the values and purposes of the policy have been achieved, the Approved Provider will:

regularly seek feedback from everyone affected by the policy regarding its effectiveness
monitor the implementation, compliance, complaints and incidents in relation to this policy
keep the policy up to date with current legislation, research, policy and best practice
revise the policy and procedures as part of the service’s policy review cycle, or as required
notify parents/guardians at least 14 days before making any changes to this policy or its procedures unless a lesser period is necessary because of a risk.

Attachments

Nil

Authorisation

This policy was adopted by the Approved Provider of Moriac Pre School Centre Inc. on 12/5/2022.

Moriac Preschool

Inclusion and Equity