Area served New South Wales Number of employees 40 | Founded 1978 | |
Type Non-government organisation, Peak body Focus Representing the interests of early education and care services in NSW. Location Building 21, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville NSW 2204 Members 2,040 (as at October 2015) Key people Diane Lawson, CEO. Wendy Lindgren, Acting Chairperson. | ||
Community Child Care Co-operative is a peak organisation for children’s services in New South Wales, Australia. It is a not-for-profit organisation. Its stated goals are to " inform and inspire the early education and care sector, and influence government policy, practices and programs so children in NSW can access quality early education and care that meet the needs of their communities." As such, it advocates for early education and child care services in New South Wales.
Contents
History
The organisation began in 1978. Predecessor groups and organisations that inspired its creation included the New South Wales Council for Social Service (NCOSS), the women’s movement, the Women’s Trade Union Commission and the Community Resource Network (an organisation for school-aged children). Most directly, it was a breakaway group that was a spinoff from Community Child Care Victoria, itself originally an action group called Community Controlled Child Care. Set up as an advisory service, it was funded by NSW-based Family and Children’s Services Agency (FACSA).
Legal authority for the organisation is the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act of 2011.
Goals
Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) advocates for education and care services, especially those run on a non-profit basis by local communities. It is a registered training organisation, and helps education and care services to operate their centres according to government regulations and guidelines. The organisation also advocates and campaigns for accessible, affordable and high-quality educational services for children and their families in NSW. Funded by the NSW and Australian governments, Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) also earns income through membership and the sale of resources. Its office is based in the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville. Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) celebrated its 35th anniversary on 1 November 2013.
Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) provides advice and commentary and addresses issues such as services under threat of closure, funding for early childhood education and care programs provided through federal and state governments, quality of educational standards for educators, the quality of education and care provided to children and, in general, issues that affect the sector.
Advocacy and Peak
Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) advocates for education and care services and for the children and families who use these services. Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) is funded by the NSW Government as the peak body for community-based education and care services in NSW. Education and care services and individuals can become members or associates of Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW). Community Child Care (NSW) has made several submissions on behalf of is members to inquiries and reviews.
Children’s Services Central
Children’s Services Central was the Professional Support Co-ordinator in NSW between 2005–2016, and was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education under the Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) to provide professional development and support to education and care services. Children’s Services Central was managed by a consortium of key organisations to resource and support the education and care services sector in NSW. Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) was the lead agency for this consortium, which includes Contact Inc., Ethnic Child Care, Family and Community Services, NSW Family Day Care Association, Network of Community Activities and Semann & Slattery. Funding for Children’s Services Central ceased on 30 June 2016, and the name is now solely managed by Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW).
Professional Development and Support
Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) provides professional development and support to education and care services. This includes a range of training for education and care services, and the production of a range of resources, books, magazines, newsletters and information kits.
Registered Training Organisation
Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) is a Registered Training Organisation offering a range of Nationally Recognised Training for staff working in education and care services.
Children’s Services Community Management
Children’s Services Community Management holds the licence for two long day care centres and three preschools.
Structure
Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) is a membership-based organisation, comprising over 2,000 service members, and headed by a seven-member board of directors, including Wendy Lindgren, acting chairperson and chair of the Children’s Services Central sub-committee, Anita Jovanovski, Gerard Moon, Maria Pender, Wendy Shepherd and Gary Withyman. Diane Lawson is the CEO (since June 2016), Wilma Murdoch is the manager of Children’s Services Central, and John Stewart is the manager of the program development.
Campaigns
Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) has co-ordinated several campaigns since its inception, aimed at persuading state and Australian governments to increase funding to preschools and early education and care in general, as well as advocating for improved quality outcomes for services, including the ‘1:4 Make it Law’ campaign to improve the ratios of staff to babies from 1:5.
Publications
Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW) publishes books, information guides, manuals, magazines and newsletters, covering topics that affect the education and care services sector, which are written and published by industry experts to promote discussion and promote professional development in the education and care services sector. Publications include: