13 OctDET funding guidelines and child-free days
How does it all work?
There are several planning and professional development days in the VECTEA 2020. As they are a requirement of the Agreement, they do not impede on the funding arrangements for a kindergarten program by the Department of Education and Training (DET) in Victoria.
There are two types of ‘child-free’ days in the VECTEA 2020, these are:
- Organisational days (also known as set-up and pack-up days) (clause 34) – three per annum; and
- Professional development days (clause 41) – two per annum.
In preparation for a ‘child-free’ day, service providers are required to:
- communicate to families at the beginning of the year about the days and times the service will operate
- identify any planned closures, including public holidays and child-free days
- provide details of any planned alternative sessions
- manage disruptions in program delivery to ensure that staff, families, and children are considered
- inform the Department if a qualified replacement teacher cannot be sourced to deliver the funded program.
Where possible, service providers are encouraged to minimise the amount of disruption to normal service delivery, including:
- appointing relief staff to ensure sessions can continue
- scheduling closures so that the same group of children are not continually missing program hours
- offering alternative sessions throughout the year.
Service providers should avoid cancelling sessions or changing session times during the year if the closure has not been planned and communicated to families at the beginning of the year.
In short, the service can plan in advance in order to:
- have relief staff to cover staff on organisational and professional development days and,
- be closed for organisational and professional development days and advise families and DET.
Services should ensure minimal disruption to the program and provide alternative sessions or staffing arrangements where possible.
Further clarification on ‘child-free’ days and professional development days and the requirement for funded kindergarten can be found in the DET Kindergarten Funding Guide at Kindergarten funding guide (education.vic.gov.au)
