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IPSP Grant Applications
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is seeking applications from suitable organisations to deliver the Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) under new funding agreements for the period 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2016.
The IPSP supports eligible early childhood education and care services to provide high quality, inclusive environments. It also supports the implementation of the National Quality Framework and the ability of services to actively work to adopt and improve their practices in line with approved learning frameworks.
Interested parties can download the DEEWR IPSP Request for Applications (RFA) pack from the IPSP Grant Applications website.
Applications must be emailed to DEEWR by 2.00 pm, Canberra time, Friday 24 February 2012 to be considered.
DEEWR will offer information sessions in the week beginning 9 January 2012. The information sessions will be held in capital cities (depending on the level of interest) and via web conferencing for participants unable to attend in person. To register your interest in participating in an information session, please send an email advising your nearest capital city to: IPSPapplications@deewr.gov.au.
Questions relating to the RFA should be forwarded to: IPSPapplications@deewr.gov.au or you can call the IPSP Helpline on 02 6240 8867 (Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Canberra time).
Inclusion Support Portal
The Inclusion Support Portal is an online system and is part of the Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations’ Child Care Management System (CCMS). It enables child care services to:
- submit Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS) applications online; and
- make claims for payment through the child care service’s CCMS registered software at the time the service submits its Child Care Benefit (CCB) attendance records.
From 3 October 2011, all child care services that are eligible for ISS, except Out of School Hours Care Vacation Care services, will:
- be required to submit ISS applications through the IS Portal; and
- claim ISS through CCMS.
The following resources have been developed to assist Inclusion Support Agencies (ISAs) and the National Inclusion Support Subsidy Provider (NISSP) in using the IS Portal to create, assess and approve Inclusion Support Cases:
| Information notice on the IS Portal |
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| Task cards for ISAs |
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| Task cards for the NISSP |
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Discussion Paper for the Inclusion and Professional Support Program
A discussion paper on the future of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) was released in June 2011. The Department received over 140 responses from a wide range of stakeholders, including current IPSP providers, peak bodies from the ECEC sector, the disability sector, refugee and migrant sector and the Indigenous sector. Generally the feedback provided many good suggestions on ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Program. Most suggestions related to improving consistency in the way the program supports early childhood education and care services, including greater clarity around the roles and responsibilities of each of the IPSP providers; reducing administrative burdens and reducing duplication of effort to ensure the best possible outcomes of the program within the funding envelope for early childhood education and care services.
All suggestions were taken into account when revising the guidelines for the 2013-2016 funding period.
Findings from a recent literature review of international approaches to inclusion and professional development support, conducted by KPMG on behalf of the department, is available below along with a summary of the key findings from a National Survey of Child Care Services conducted in 2010.
Further information on the IPSP is provided below.
Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP)
The Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP) is an integrated and consolidated approach to meeting the inclusion and professional support needs of child care services and is an important part of the larger Child Care Services Support Program.
The aim of the IPSP is to promote and maintain high quality care and inclusion for all children in eligible child care services, by increasing the skill level of carers, educators and management in line with nationally consistent priorities.
The IPSP Guidelines provide information for child care services, IPSP service providers and families in relation to Inclusion Support Agencies, the Inclusion Support Subsidy, Professional Support Coordinators and the Indigenous Professional Support Unit.
Professional Support Program
Through state and territory based Professional Support Coordinators (PSCs) and Indigenous Professional Support Units (IPSUs), the IPSP ensures that all Australian Government approved child care services, regardless of geographic location, have access to quality professional development and support. Child care services can access the PSCs for professional development and support, who use local professional support service providers to deliver support that meets the individual needs of child care services. IPSUs provide professional development and support to eligible Indigenous child care services. IPSUs also advise PSCs and Inclusion Support Agencies on culturally appropriate professional support that meets the needs of eligible child care services with Indigenous staff or children. Part of this assistance incorporates supporting the inclusion of children from diverse backgrounds including Indigenous children, children with disability and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The professional development and support services available to eligible child care services through PSCs and IPSUs include
- mentoring/professional supervision
- networking and collaboration
- calendar or in-service training
- flexible training options/customised support and professional development
- on-line resource collections, including fact sheets, training information and useful links
- telephone advice and support
- resource materials.
PSC and IPSU Contact Details
Inclusion Support Program
The Inclusion Support Program assists child care services to include children with additional needs in child care. Under the Program, 67 regionally based Inclusion Support Agencies (ISAs) manage networks of skilled Inclusion Support Facilitators (ISFs) to work at a local level with child care services. ISFs assist child care services to build their skill base and capacity to include children with additional needs. The target groups for inclusion support are:
- children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, including children from a refugee or humanitarian intervention background
- children with ongoing high support needs, including children with a disability
- Indigenous children.
Inclusion Support Subsidy
The Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS) is administered nationally by KU Children’s Services, the National ISS Provider.
The ISS assists eligible child care services to improve their capacity to include children with ongoing high support needs in quality child care.
Who is eligible for Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS)?
Child care services that are eligible to access Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS) include:
- Australian Government child care services approved for Child Care Benefit, including Long Day Care, Outside School Hours Care including Vacation Care, Family Day Care, Occasional Care, and In Home Care.
- Australian Government child care services funded under the Budget Based Funding Program, including flexible/innovative services, mobile child care services, Multifunctional Aboriginal Children's Services (MACS), Indigenous Playgroups, Indigenous outside school hours care and enrichment programs, crèches and innovative child care service centres.
Please note: Eligibility for the ISS does not mean an automatic entitlement to payment.
The ISS may be available to eligible child care services to assist them to build their capacity to include a child or children with ongoing high support needs.
Children with ongoing high support needs include:
- children with disability
- children who are undergoing continuing assessment of a disability
- children from a refugee or humanitarian intervention background who demonstrate behaviours symptomatic with having experienced or having been subject to torture or trauma in their country of origin or during their refugee experience.
How to apply for Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS)
Inclusion Support Facilitators will assist child care services to develop a Service Support Plan (SSP). Contact your local Inclusion Support Agency to request assistance with the application process. Where an SSP has identified that additional support is required, an Inclusion Support Subsidy Application Form should be completed, along with the SSP.
For more information please see Section C of the Inclusion and Support Professional Support Guidelines.
Support provided by the Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS)
The Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS) is paid to child care services as a contribution towards the costs associated with including a child or children with ongoing high support needs in child care and may be used for the following purposes:
In-centre based services:
- to engage an additional child care educator to increase the staff-to-child ratio when a child or children with ongoing high support needs are in care.
In-home based services:
- as a Capacity Payment to Family Day Care educators in recognition of the additional care and attention required by a child or children with ongoing high support needs in their care and the impact of this on the educator
- as an Additional Payment to In Home Care carers in recognition of the additional care and attention required by a child or children with ongoing high support needs in their care and the impact of this on the carer
- to engage an additional worker to accompany a Family Day Care educator or In Home Care carer caring for a child or children with ongoing high support needs on out-of-home excursions or other special activities, for example family day care playgroups or vacation care excursions.
What level of assistance is available under ISS?
ISS Rates for centre based care services
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Care Type |
Subsidy Limit as at 1 July 2011 (indexed annually) |
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Long Day Care (LDC), excluding vacation care programs provided through a LDC Centre |
- $16.43 per hour for an additional educator up to a maximum of 25 hours per week, 52 weeks per year based on 5 days attendance (up to 12 weeks per year for VC in LDC)
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Flexible / Innovative Services, MACS |
- $16.43 per hour for an additional educator up to a maximum of 25 hours per week, 52 weeks per year based on 5 days attendance
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Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC), including non-mainstream OSHC |
- $16.43 per hour for an additional educator up to a maximum of 25 hours per week, 42 weeks per year based on 5 days attendance
- $16.43 for an additional educator up to a maximum of 8 hours per day, 6 days per year (for the purpose of pupil free days only).
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Vacation Care including vacation care programs provided through a LDC Centre |
- $16.43 per hour for an additional educator up to a maximum of 40 hours per week, 12 weeks per year based on 5 days attendance
- $16.43 for an additional educator up to a maximum of 8 hours per day, 6 days per year (for the purpose of pupil free days only)
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Occasional Care (OCC), including non-formula funded OCC |
- $16.43 per hour for an additional educator up to a maximum of 25 hours per week, 52 weeks per year based on 5 days attendance
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Mobile Services |
- $16.43 per hour for an additional educator up to a maximum of 25 hours per week, 52 weeks per year based on 5 days attendance
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After School Care (ASC) and Before School Care (BSC) are deemed to be one service for the purpose of ISS funding rates. Due to the differing care environments, services remain separate for the purpose of completing a Service Support Plan
ISS Rates for home based care services
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Care Type |
Subsidy Limit as at 1 July 2011 (indexed annually) |
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Family Day Care (FDC) |
- Capacity payment of either $4.36 or $8.74 per hour per care environment up to a maximum of 50 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.
- $16.43 per hour to employ an additional carer/s for out-of-home excursions for each eligible child up to a maximum of 5 hours per week 52 weeks per year.
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In Home Care (IHC) |
- Additional Payment of either $4.36 or $8.74 per hour per care environment up to a maximum of 50 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.
- $16.43 per hour to employ an additional carer/s for out-of-home excursions for each eligible child up to a maximum of 5 hours per week 52 weeks per year.
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Two-tier subsidy for Family Day Care
FDC educators caring for an eligible child or children may be approved for $4.36 per hour (Tier One) per care environment where the impact of caring for the child or children has a mild impact on the educator. Educators may be eligible for this payment even where they are caring for the full complement of children under state and territory regulations.
FDC educators may also be eligible for a payment of $8.74 per hour (Tier Two) per care environment where it is determined that the child or children being cared for has a significant impact on the educator’s capacity to include that child or children in the care environment, resulting in the educator needing to carry less than the full complement of children.
Refer to Attachment 1 for assistance with determining the impact on the educator’s capacity to include the child in the care environment.
Two-tier subsidy for In Home Care
IHC carers caring for an eligible child or children may be approved for $4.36 per hour (Tier One) per care environment where the impact of caring for the child or children has a mild impact on the carer.
IHC carers may also be eligible for a payment of $8.74 per hour (Tier Two) per care environment where it is determined that the child or children being cared for has a significant impact on the carer’s capacity to include that child or children in the care environment.
Refer to Attachment 1 for assistance with determining the impact on the carer’s capacity to include the child in the care environment.
Other forms of assistance available
In addition to the Inclusion Support Subsidy (ISS), child care services may also be able to access additional support through Flexible Support Funding, Bicultural Support, Specialist Equipment and the General Resource Library.
- Flexible Support Funding - time limited support provided to eligible child care services to build their capacity to include a child or children with ongoing high support needs. Flexible Support Funding is a contribution towards the costs associated with employing additional staff to increase the staff to child ratio for a time limited period.
Flexible Support Funding Limits
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Service Type |
Funding Limit as at 1 July 2011 (indexed annually) |
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All eligible service types (excluding VC, FDC and IHC) |
- Services are eligible for a $16.43 hourly contribution with a daily cap of five hours for a maximum of 100 hours each year, i.e. 12 months from date of approval, in respect of each eligible child enrolled.
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Vacation Care |
- Services are eligible for a $16.43 hourly contribution with a daily cap of eight hours for a maximum of 80 hours each year, i.e. 12 months from date of approval, in respect of each eligible child enrolled.
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| Family Day Care and In Home Care |
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Services are eligible for a $16.43 hourly contribution with a weekly cap of five hours for a maximum of five weeks (or 25 hours) each year, i.e. 12 months from the date of approval, in respect of each eligible child enrolled.
Flexible Support Funding (FSF) can be used to employ an additional carer to increase the staff to child ratio above licensing requirements on out of home excursions such as playgroups or vacation care excursions.
FSF can also be used to provide a financial contribution for educators who are unable to attend specialist training during business hours. Training must relate specifically to the additional needs of a child in care. Educators are eligible for a $16.43 hourly contribution for a maximum of 15 hours each year or 12 month period.
FSF cannot be used to employ an additional carer within the FDC or IHC home environment. |
| All service types |
- Services are eligible to apply for FSF to allow release time for permanent educators to attend specialist training and/or prepare Service Support Plans (SSPs) in respect of a child with ongoing high support needs. There is a combined 15 hour limit per service each year or 12 month period, for these activities. Note: Services are advised to apply for funding for these activities as required, not as a lump sum.
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- Bicultural Support - provides additional resources to eligible child care services to assist with the inclusion of children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, refugee or humanitarian background and Indigenous children. A worker engaged by the Bicultural Support Program, can offer time-limited support from either off-site consultants or an on-site casual bilingual or bicultural worker. Access to bicultural support is provided to eligible child care services free of charge.
- Specialist Equipment – available on loan from the Specialist Equipment provider to eligible child care services (excluding In Home Care) to assist the inclusion of a child who has demonstrated ongoing high support needs in a child care environment.
- General Resource Library – provides up-to-date information and resources on child care practice and research findings and assists in meeting the inclusion and professional support needs of eligible child care services.
For more information, advice or assistance: Please contact your local Inclusion Support Agency or your state/territory Professional Support Coordinator or Indigenous Professional Support Unit.