Early Childhood Education and Care Flexible Initiatives Trial Round 1

To be eligible for the ECEC Flexible Initiatives Trial, an applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Be an approved early childhood education and care service provider under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) and Children (Education and Care Services) Supplementary Provisions Regulation 2012, excluding Department of Education preschools, operating in NSW. That is, 1 of the following eligible service types:
   • community preschool (centre-based)
   • mobile preschool
   • long day care
   • family day care
   • occasional care
   • before and after school care.
2. Either:
   • primarily provide care for 0–6-year-old children or
   • indicate that proposed activities supported by the ECEC Flexible Initiatives Trial be to provide care to children within the range of 0-6 years-old.
3. Be registered, or be willing to register, with the Department of Education’s Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS).
4. Agree to comply with the funding agreement terms and conditions of the ECEC Flexible Initiatives Trial.
5.  Describe, and intend to provide, a discrete and defined activity beyond the service’s normal, core, existing or ongoing activities, to be delivered under the ECEC Flexible Initiatives Trial
6. Hold a quality rating and compliance history for the relevant ECEC service of Meeting, Exceeding or Excellent against the National Standard. In limited circumstances, applications from services who are rated Working Towards or are awaiting assessment and rating will be considered. Approved providers seeking to establish a new family day care service in outer regional, remote and very remote areas must already be operating at least one service in NSW which has been assessed and rated.

Funding is offered in 2 streams:

Stream 1 focuses on smaller-scale operational changes within a single provider and service type. The establishment of new family day care service locations by existing approved providers may also be funded in outer regional, remote, and very remote areas based on ARIA+ classification.

Stream 2 focuses on collaboration between 2 established approved services of differing service types working together to implement or extend flexible practices or models. An example may be an existing local family day care service providing wraparound hours care for children enrolled in a community preschool.

Applicants have the flexibility to seek funding for program activities in one or both streams, with successful applicants delivering activities based on local needs and the specifications within their individual funding agreements.

As the Flexible Initiatives Trial is a test and trial program, funding will be provided for a 12-month period.

For further information, see the program guidelines.

ECEC Flexible Initiatives Trial funding cannot be used for:

• staff costs and operating expenses (for example, insurance, maintenance) that are not directly related to the program initiative (that is, costs relating to core service delivery)
• services located outside NSW
• activities that do not align with the program objectives
• activities that do not meet the requirements outlined in the program guidelines
• activities that do not meet the assessment criteria
• initiatives that have, at the time of assessment of the application, been completed (that is, retrospective funding)
• activities already funded through another source (that is, where another grant is funding the same elements)
• any activities in contravention of the funding agreement (which will be signed by successful services).

Note: providers may apply for funds to deliver program activities in one or both streams. Contracted providers will deliver activities according to their local need and as specified in their individual funding agreement.

Stream 1 – eligible activities

Eligible activities include smaller-scale adjustments to an existing service’s operating model such as:

• extending service operating hours or days beyond current standard operating hours
• providing flexible sessions of care aligned with Child Care Subsidy provisions (for example, casual enrolment, sessional care)
• allowing flexibility in enrolment (for example, flexible bookings)
• the establishment of new family day care service locations in outer regional, remote or very remote areas, facilitated by a qualified educator under an existing approved provider.

Examples of what may be funded under stream 1 include:

• staffing and recruitment costs for activities directly related to the program (educator and/or administrative and program-related; new or existing staff)
• operating expenses directly related to the program initiative (for example, additional rent for opening longer hours as required in some commercial contracts)
• some fees payable to the regulatory authority
• resources, equipment or operating costs directly related to the initiative (for example, costs associated purchasing or updating of digital software to manage enrolments or rostering)
• staff learning and development costs directly related to the initiative (for example, to train staff in the use of digital software to manage enrolments or rostering).

Stream 1 family day care establishment – eligible activities

Stream 1 also provides for the establishment of new family day care service locations in outer regional, remote or very remote areas, facilitated by a qualified educator under an existing approved provider. For these applicants, funding may be provided for:

• staffing and recruitment costs for activities directly related to the program (1 educator for the establishment of the trial program and/or administrative and program-related)
• transportation costs (driver, additional educator for supervision)
• minor capital works associated with the establishment of new family day care service
• some fees payable to the regulatory authority or local council.

Stream 2 – eligible activities

Eligible activities under stream 2 are larger-scale innovative operating models created by a partnership between two established approved services of differing service types working together to implement or extend flexible practices or models. An example may be an existing local family day care service providing wraparound hours care for children enrolled in a community preschool.

Examples of what may be funded under stream 2 include:

• Staffing and recruitment costs for activities directly related to the program (educator and/or administrative and program-related; new or existing staff).
• Some fees payable to the regulatory authority.
• Transportation (for children attending multiple care types under a blended model of ECEC).