Kindergarten Inclusion Support Services
What are Kindergarten Inclusion Support Services?
Kindergarten Inclusion Support services for children with a severe disability offers supplementary assistance to early childhood services to support initiatives for the inclusion of children with a severe disability into their kindergarten program.
INCLUSION: Refers to an environment which all children are able to access, are valued , feel a sense of belonging and are given the opportunities to participate fully and equally. Each individual is valued for the unique attributes and qualities that he/she possesses
Auspice Agency
Yooralla is the Auspicing Agency for the Kindergarten Inclusion Support Service in the Southern Metropolitan Region.
Who Can Access This Service
Services with a 4 year old group funded kindergarten program are eligible to apply for additional support to ensure children with severe disabilities have access to and are able to participate in their local kindergarten program.
Focus
Inclusion support services focus on:
- Responding to the family and child's abilities and strengths
- Utilising the natural environment in which families and children live, in order to enhance their skills and wellbeing
- Promoting a coordinated approach between the family and services involved in the child's care and education.
Support
The additional resources allocated to the program support the needs of the whole group during the kindergarten year.
The package of support may provide:
- Specialist training for current kindergarten program staff
- Additional resources to support the participation of the child in the kindergarten program
- Specialised assistance for kindergarten staff to identify program needs and adjustments to further support the access and participation of the child
- Additional staffing support for the kindergarten group.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for Kindergarten Inclusion Support for children with severe disabilities, criteria as outlined in the information kit and application form, must be met.
Application Process
The application form is filled out by the kindergarten teacher in consultation with the parent, and with the assistance of support group members. The information is treated as confidential ( please refer to the privacy statement on page 2 of the Application form.)
All applications for Kindergarten Inclusion Support funding must be on the appropriate application form.
Late applications can not be accepted after 3rd June 2011 unless there are extenuating circumstances (refer information kit for details.)Click to Download the 2011 Information and application kit for kindergarten inclusion support services for children with severe disabilities (PDF - 500KB)
Click to Download the KISS Information Sessions 2010 Casey, Mornington and Bayside (PDF - 60Kb)
Where To Send Application Forms
Completed forms ( along with 6 copies ) should be sent to the:
RAG Convenor
PO Box 8434
Heatherton VIC 3202
Regional Information Sessions
Before applying and completing an application form ,parents, early childhood staff and all relevant people involved with the child are advised to attend an information session . These sessions are held in August each year at different venues across the SMR . Please call the number below to find out more information about these sessions.
Further inquiries should be directed to :
- Program Manager Kindergarten Inclusion Support Service
- PO Box 8434
- Heatherton VIC 3202
- Tel: 9551 8438
- Email: kindergarteninclusion@yooralla.com.au