You are here: Home > Early childhood > Programmes & funding > Inclusion and Professional Support Program factsheet

Inclusion and Professional Support Program factsheet


The Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) supports child care services so they can provide high-quality child care. It:

  • gives those who work in child care access to the professional support they need to build their skills and do their job well
  • supports child care services to include all children including those with additional needs
  • is delivered by providers based in each state and territory so child care services in all regions of Australia can benefit and are treated equally.

All Australian Government approved child care services are eligible regardless of care type or location. Types include:

  • Long Day Care
  • Outside School Hours Care (including Vacation Care)
  • Occasional Care
  • Family Day Care
  • In Home care.
Some Australian Government funded non-mainstream child care services (non-Child Care Benefit) are also eligible. These services include:
  • flexible/innovative services
  • Multi-functional Aboriginal Children's Services (MACS)
  • non-mainstream Outside School Hours Care
  • non-formula funded Occasional Care (100 per cent Australian Government funded)
  • mobile children's services.

 It has three elements:

  • Professional Support Program (PSP)
  • Inclusion Support Program (ISP)
  • Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS).
These elements are explained briefly further in this fact sheet and in more detail in other fact sheets.

The PSP gives those who work in child care access to the professional support they need to do their jobs well. It gives them access to:

  • advice
  • support
  • flexible training options
  • resources (including an extensive web site with fact sheets, training information and useful links)
  • referrals to other agencies.
The Program is flexible and designed to meet professional support needs across all care types.

Professional support is provided through state and territory based:

  • Professional Support Coordinators (PSCs)
  • Indigenous Professional Support Units (IPSUs).
These are the first points of contact for carers, service staff and management.

Each PSC and IPSU operates a toll-free help line and a web site with an email contact for carers. Contact details are on the Child care main page.

The ISP Program supports child care services so they can welcome and include all children including those with additional needs.

Children with additional needs include those from diverse cultural and language backgrounds, those with a disability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Under the Program 67 regionally based Inclusion Support Agencies (ISAs) employ Inclusion Support Facilitators (ISFs) who work directly with child care services to build and develop their skills by:

  • recommending specialist equipment to be bought through the ISS
  • identifying the need for and facilitating 'bicultural support'
  • developing plans and courses of action for 'inclusion readiness'
  • developing Service Support Plans
  • identifying where the ISS is needed and assisting in completing ISS forms.

The ISS gives funding to help child care services to include children with ongoing high support needs. These are children with a disability, children being diagnosed with a disability and refugee children.

The ISS can be used for:

  • additional staff to increase the staff-to-child ratio
  • relief staff, to cover for regular carers attending inclusion training
  • specialist equipment.
The ISS replaced the Special Needs Subsidy Scheme (SNSS) and the Disabled Supplementary Services Payment (DSUPS) from 1 July 2006.

For more information on all aspects of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program visit the Child care main page.

Key points

The Inclusion and Professional Support Program:
  • supports child care services to provide high-quality child care
  • gives funding to help child care services include children who have ongoing high support needs
  • gives families confidence that those who work in child care have access to the skills and professional support they need to do their jobs well
  • supports child care services to include all children, regardless of their background and including those with additional needs
  • covers all types of Australian Government approved child care
  • is for some Australian Government funded non-mainstream child care services (non-Child Care Benefit)
  • is a coordinated, national approach for child care services in regional, rural and remote Australia.
 Email this page
 Print this page
 
IN THIS SECTION
Child Care Payment Compliance

Child care - Community Support Payments

Child Care Management System (CCMS)

Reporting of child care availability and usage details to the Child Care Access Hotline

Information for child care service providers

Professional Support Program factsheet

Child care Inclusion and Professional Support Program

Community Support Payments - application for Funding

List of software providers developing CCMS solutions

List of Registered CCMS software

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)

Application Guidelines and information on how to apply for Additional Assistance

Quality child care

Community Support Payments - frequently asked questions

In Home Care

Family Day Care start up payment

Child Care Benefit ready reckoner

Child Care Benefit (CCB) contact numbers

Software packages for generating child care usage statements

Sustainability assistance - Outside School Hours Care fact sheet

Questions and answers updated 2 October

Programmes and funding menu

Occasional Care operational support fact sheet

Inclusion Support Subsidy factsheets

Sustainability assistance - Long Day Care fact sheet

Inclusion and Professional Support Program factsheet

Important information for grandparent carers

17 September 2007 funding round open - Long Day Care capital funding program

Child Care Benefit

The Child Care Support Program

Inclusion Support Program factsheet

Selecting a child care service

SFCS

Reporting your vacancy and usage information

2007 In Home Care Allocation Round

Child Care Access Hotline