Child care professionals share a commitment to improving society by creating dynamic and nurturing care environments for Australia's youngest learners.
In this month's Child Care People we speak to Jodie Hill - Family Day Care Co-ordinator at Elimbah Kindy in Elimbah, QLD.
Jodie Hill
Family Day Care Co-ordinator
Elimbah Kindy - Elimbah, QLD
C4K: What is your full name?
JH: Jodie Hill, known mostly in my job role as 'Jode' and I am a Family Day Care Co-ordinator.
C4K: What is your professional background and career experience?
JH: I have a Diploma of Teaching in Early Childhood and a Post Graduate Diploma in Special Education and for 19 years I have been working with or for children in a number of roles.
I earned my living at uni by tutoring primary school children, taught for several years in the relief teaching system in primary schools, then as a Support Teacher for children with behaviour challenges as well as those being (in those days) 'integrated' into mainstream settings, today it is known as 'inclusion'.
I owned my own tutoring business while at the same time being a Family Day Care carer before and after school with Peace of Mind Family Day Care. In 2008 I became a co-ordinator with the scheme. Next year I am taking my qualifications and experience back to the coal face. I am stepping down as co-ordinator but remaining with my scheme as an educator providing a pre-prep program for four-five year olds.
C4K: What attracted you to a career in child care?
JH: I wanted to be a teacher from the age of about five. My cousins take cruel delight in reminding me that when we played schools I always had to be the teacher. My kindergarten teacher always drew fantastic scenes on the chalk board so I was sold!
My first prac, however, in a long day care centre in NSW back in 1989 was such an awful experience it frightened me away from centre care. Hence, my many years in the five-eight year old field. It wasn't until I moved into Family Day Care that my passion for under-fives was reignited.
C4K: What does a 'normal' day look like for you?
JH: I wake up at about 6:00 am, earlier if my family of three schoolies are coming into care at 6:30 am. I do the usual mum' things then do 'Squabble Watch' as all five schoolies play handball in the early morning sunshine and squabble about things like 'kings', 'queens' 'jacks' and 'duns'. I then do the school drop off and head to my co-ordinator job.
A 'normal' day as a co-ordinator would involve reading and following up emails from educators (no longer called carers) and doing home visits, usually two or three a day. On a visit, I interact with the children. We read a book, do a craft activity together or just play and explore together. I look at educators' planning and assessments for learning (no longer 'observations'), help them with linking one planning experience to another, scaffolding or with ideas for experiences they could provide that would build on the assessments they have done. Every visit involves some level of safety check, whether of the environment in general or of a specific area of the environment e.g. outside or bathroom.
I am lucky to have a job that allows me to not only interact with and help develop fantastic little human beings, but to engage with and appreciate great educators. Our educators have such fantastic ideas and a good day for me is any day that I can take what I see happening in one family day care setting and share it in another.
The enjoyment I get from just talking with my educators on a personal level adds the spice to my day. I have a professional friendship with each and every one of them and it is this level of interaction that I believe sets my scheme apart from others. I have educators who have come across from other schemes and have told me that they don't 'freak out' when they know I am coming for a visit. Co-ordinators in our scheme are not 'authority figures' to fear but catalysts for professional growth.
My co-ordinator day ends at 3:00 pm when I head home for the after school session. Afternoon tea and homework followed by either a craft activity of interest or something linked to what is happening at school (we made models of the planet Saturn when two of the children were studying planets) or more often than not, outside play. The schoolies go home at about 5:00 pm and then it's back to being 'Just Mum'.
C4K: What are some of the advantages of working in the child care sector?
JH: Within the sector itself it has to be the privilege of helping to mould little souls into competent, creative and curious individuals. Within the family day care sector, it is the ability to be there for your own children, to provide a service in the way you believe it should be provided.
Family day care is a model of child care and education that allows you to know your families very well, to know the children you care for inside and out. It's a model of child care that is flexible for families and that provides families with a consistent carer for their child, a small group for their child to interact with, yet the opportunity for them to interact in large groups via scheme play sessions and educators getting together for their own play sessions. It allows children to make links with their community through outings to the library, the local shop and the art gallery or to go to an Aboriginal dance being performed at the local primary school.
C4K: What are some of the biggest challenges facing the child care sector?
JH: I believe that currently the biggest challenge facing the sector is the introduction of the National Quality Agenda. There are many components that will affect most, if not all, child care sectors: the new Quality Rating System, the Early Years' Learning Framework, changes to ratios and carer qualifications and the universal access to a program delivered by a four year trained early childhood teacher in the year before school.
C4K: How has your place of work changed to deal with these challenges?
JH: Our scheme has been a pioneer in embracing the implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework. We have been extremely lucky to have a dedicated Senior Co-ordinator who has trained all our educators in the framework and worked hard with them on an individual level to iron out the wrinkles.
This ironing will continue for quite some time yet, but it is a great place to be when you consider that schemes are still grappling with just the idea of the Framework. We are looking at the new QA draft at a co-ordination unit level as we prepare for validation again next year. We are talking with and advising our educators who don't have their Cert 3 to look at their training options sooner rather than later and are preparing as a scheme to support those who are overwhelmed with the prospect of study.
On a personal level, I am preparing as an educator to bring universal access into family day care. Four-five year olds don't have to attend day care centres or private kindergartens to engage in a quality program run by a four year trained early childhood teacher the year before they start school. As a scheme we are hoping to show our educators that they can apply for scholarships to become university qualified early childhood teachers and remain in Family Day Care if they so wish.
Families will then have a choice to access early education in a loving, nurturing home by a consistent educator in a small group whilst still giving their child the best opportunity in the year before they start school. Experiences in large groups can still be had by coming together with other educators.
C4K: How does the industry need to change to adapt to these challenges?
JH: The industry needs to recognise that the differing sectors don't have to exist in isolation. Kindy programs can be brought into family day care, family day care can and does work alongside and with 9:00 am to 3:00 pm kindergartens. Long Day Care may suit families who need longer hours but so does family day care and it already has equally qualified educators. Ample opportunities need to exist for educators in all sectors to learn about and prepare for the changes. Only then will the fear of change cease to exist.
C4K: What advice would you offer someone thinking about a career or looking for a promotion in child care?
JH: This is an exciting time of change. Children in care have the right to the highest quality of care delivered by professionals with the highest standards of qualification. It is the opportune time to plan for promotion and to ensure you have the skills and knowledge that will be sought in a care provider who delivers quality early education.
For someone planning on entering the field, the next three-four years will be bursting with opportunities as it looks for quality educators. Get on board now and get ready!
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