Professional Development and Capacity Building Support for Early Childhood Education Providers

⁠⁠⁠The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) is partnering with the NSW Department of Education (DoE) to deliver the Supporting Families into Early Childhood Education (SFiECE) Project. SFiECE focuses on supporting vulnerable and/or disadvantaged families who may experience barriers to Early Childhood Education (ECE) participation. This includes families who may be experiencing financial or other hardships; parenting difficulties; who are requiring support for disabilities; families that are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD); and Aboriginal families. 

There is a body of research evidence supporting the role of ECE in facilitating cognitive development, pre-academic skills, behavioural and social development in preschool aged children. Additionally, ECEs can be a principal player in bringing stakeholders together in a community partnership to strengthen the network of support around children. These benefits are of particular importance for young children from vulnerable or disadvantaged families.  

Four SFiECE pilot sites have been established accross Local Government Areas (LGAs) – Walgett/Coonamble, Kempsey, Cessnock and Fairfield. The LGAs were selected based on DoE analysis of locational socio-economic factors, preschool attendance rates and educational assessment and performance data. Four DCJ Family Support Services (FSSs) servicing the 5 LGAs are participating in the SFiECE project, each representing the four pilot sites. 

The project requires the services of an external contractor with suitable expertise to assess and deliver Capacity Building and Professional Development Support to local ECE Providers in the four pilot sites. In order to address the specific needs of services in different locations, more than one contractor may be engaged. 

The successful supplier/s will work with four DCJ funded FSSs located in the pilot sites. The supplier/s will be required to: 

•Identify training needs and professional development opportunities of ECE services and educators in each of the four pilot sites

•Identify appropriate training and/or sector capacity building activities to meet needs of ECE services and educators

•Support ECE services to access, (and where required) deliver training, professional development and/or sector capacity building program

•Work collaboratively with key stakeholders, including the relevant FSS and local Aboriginal and CALD communities. 

•Actively participate and contribute to a broader evaluation that will be undertaken as part of the SFiECE project, related to sector capacity building and professional development of ECE workers. 

The specification will outline a weighted selection criterion requiring proposals to demonstrate relevant experience and expertise. This includes: 

•Demonstrated expertise in design, co-ordination and delivery of professional development support and training to early childhood educators and ECE services.  

•Demonstrated understanding of the possible challenges of ECE participation for Aboriginal families, culturally linguistically and diverse families and families with children with disability; and the capability to (where required and with ECE services) draw in the lived experience of families to inform the design of local training

•Demonstrated understanding of the evidence and expertise in effective service delivery in relation to children who have experienced significant disadvantage/vulnerability/trauma and children with additional needs

•Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, while remaining responsive and flexible to the needs of key stakeholders, including the funding body, to meet desired outcomes.

•Value for money in costing