The following article is brought to you by ACA Partner Child Care Centre Desktop:
The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful and continues to impact our sector. As Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services are classified as an ‘essential service’ they are required to remain open even when other businesses are mandated to close.
Ensuring ECEC services are COVID-safe remains the priority, with risk mitigation measures in place to protect staff, children and families.
Over the last 18 months ECEC providers have had to be resilient and flexible while navigating best practice to ensure everyone’s safety and their own financial continuity through this ever-changing landscape.
As we know the state governments have imposed various restrictions on local communities and regions periodically to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Melbourne has experienced major changes to how ECEC services are delivered and the complicated risk measures that had to be implemented during a series of circuit breaker lockdowns. Now Sydney is experiencing a 2-week lockdown with stay-at-home orders causing a ripple affect across the whole nation.
Looking back on this journey, we have all learnt so much.
The Australian Childcare Alliance have continued to engage with the Australian Government and advocate for a range of support for early learning services which have resulted in a greater awareness of the importance of the early learning sector in ensuring stability and providing education and care to children so families can continue to work.
As a support provider of compliance and operational documentation we (Childcare Centre Desktop) have also needed to be as ‘ready’ and flexible as our members to cope with the fluid nature of the Pandemic.
Reflecting on the past 18 months and with a lockdown in Sydney announced, we have asked several CCD members to reflect upon their COVID-19 experience from a business perspective.
1/ When faced with another lock down in your Local Government Area (LGA) - how prepared do you feel in providing a COVID Safe environment for staff and families?
We feel well prepared. Having gone through this already we now know what measures we need in place and the policies and procedures we follow. Our families are so supportive and appreciative of the procedures we have in place to ensure everyone is COVID-safe.
We ensure to communicate with our families and staff and update through email and Xplor posts any new information we received or any changes that may affect them.
Sprout Early Learning Centre Terrigal, Jordie.
We feel confident with the documentation we have in place and set procedure we implement for an outbreak and lock down.
All 4 Kids Kindergarten, Emma
2/ In what areas are you more confident in implementing risk mitigation measures to keep your service operating safely than this time last year?
We are confident in what we are doing and why it's so important. Because we have already been through this everyone knows what is looks like. I think Sickness would be a big one, snotty noses, temps and coughs. Having the Public Health Unit, a phone call away is also great support if we need clarification around symptoms and illness.
Sprout Early Learning Centre Terrigal, Jordie.
We are more knowledgeable about health requirements and how to keep safe, based on the documents we have incorporated and strict procedures in place in accordance with guidance from the Department and Childcare Centre Desktop.
All 4 Kids Kindergarten, Emma
3/ What resources or support have you found most helpful in managing COVID-19?
The information passed on through Childcare Centre Desktop - all information from them is always up to date and easy to interpret.
Sprout Early Learning Centre Terrigal, Jordie.
Childcare Centre Desktop provides a great range of documents to help implement effective policies and procedures.
All 4 Kids Kindergarten, Emma
4/ Has your state/territory government provided adequate and consistent information?
Yes, however I find they put in rules and regulations and don’t explain what that looks like for us particularly in our sector I feel as if restrictions and regulations weren't clear for childcare, and everyone was left to work it out themselves. I also think the ECEC updates are always a day too late, and we wait on those emails after restrictions change for them to be further explained.
Sprout Early Learning Centre Terrigal, Jordie.
Yes, the Department provide us with emails which outline mandatory requirements and provide information about best practice
All 4 Kids Kindergarten, Emma
5/ What impact has COVID-19 had on your business?
Business decisions are impacted by way of caution due to COVID-19. The well-being of educators is top priority for the business and will be the main focus driving decision making going into the new COVID-19 lockdown that we face. Educators are the key to a positive education and care service for children and thus must be the number one concern during environmental impacts such as COVID-19.
Sprout Early Learning Centre Terrigal, Jordie.
COVID-19 has not impacted our business this year.
All 4 Kids Kindergarten, Emma
6/ How can ACA and CCD further support your business as we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic?
By continuing to keep us up to date with relevant information and explain what it looks like for our sector, putting information out to families, providing resources for Educator Wellbeing and providing black and white guidelines around sickness and temperatures.
I think during this pandemic it has highlighted the importance of the ECEC sector and being an essential service, it would be a great time to continue to push the importance of Early Childhood Education.
Sprout Early Learning Centre Terrigal, Jordie.
Continue to provide updated resources and information to help implement a quick and effective turn around period.
All 4 Kids Kindergarten, Emma
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