DEFYING GRAVITY

POWER,VOICE AND EQUITY IN FAMILY DAY CARE

Taking a Chance on Change!

Snapshot of Kingston FDC

• 60 Educators

• 373 Children

• 417 Families

Coordination Unit:

• Team Leader Children’s Services

• FDC Coordinator

• Pedagogical Leader

• 3 Field Officers

• Playgroup Specialist

• Placement Officer

• 2 Administration Staff

History

• 2012 Full time Coordinator started

• Council concerned- dwindling numbers

• Pressure to grow the service or risk closure

• 67% of educators are from CALD backgrounds

• Coordination Unit: white-Anglo women

Need for change

• Pressure to grow the service

• Losing educators due to minimum qualifications

• Coordination unit struggling to embrace the National Quality Agenda

• Partnerships

• Collaboration

• Leadership

Wynnum Family Day Care

• Robyn and Liz spent two days with Cathy and team at

Wynnum in March 2013

• Two full on days of exploration, conversations and

reflection

• Discussed findings with team back at Kingston

• Some apprehension and resistance to change

Next Step… to grow the business

• Placement Officer

• New Playgroup Specialist

• A focus on marketing

• Educator recruitment effectiveness

• Maternal Child Health visits

Critical Reflection

• Compliance Model: ‘catching educators out’

• Educators had an element of fear associated with

field officer visits

• Same voices heard at business meetings

• White-Anglo perspectives in relation to child rearing

and education:

MacNaughton (2005) indicates

that within “early childhood

studies, dominant

developmental truths of the

child privilege

Western/Minority views of the

normal child and marginalise

Majority views” (p.36).

Next Steps to grow the team…

• Moving away from a compliance model into a strengths

based/needs approach

• Educator Awards

• Four part training series: across 3 geographical locations

• Creating a culture of pedagogical conversation, reflection and

the development of both professional relationships and

friendships at playgroups. Strong sense of community!

What's happening now… • Field Officers are building on the strength of their own and

each others knowledge

• Working in partnership with educators when setting goals in

relation to practice

• Full capacity at playgroups

• Placement Officer role has been hugely successful

• A sense of real collaboration within the coordination unit

• We are growing!!!

“I had lots of vacancies and Jo filled them ASAP. Fantastic idea and should remain all the time”

We acknowledge that in relation to Kingston FDC our core work is

mentoring, teaching and supporting educators, our vision is to work

in strong partnership with all members of the team hence creating a

workplace where knowledge, power and voice are spread equally

among its participants.

Creative Research Approaches

Born in

Poland

Liz Stiller

Meital and Adam

Born in Israel

“I never imagined I would be divorced in my 20’s, single mother and have no money. It has been very hard but I am strong and I know things will get better”

Rathna

Born in Sri Lanka

“We are just people…with the

same emotions as everyone else.

This is just our job and we give

everything to it”.

Anne and Family

Born in Vietnam

“I have had many struggles but meditation has helped me to let go and move on”

Fiona and Casper

Born in Australia

“When you have a child with cancer you lose all your rights as a parent”

Rajni

Born in India

“When I was younger I was very shy and didn’t like being around people, as I have got older I have learnt to participate more with people. I choose mediation as a way of life to help me become a better person”

Munira , Leti and Kaniz

Born in Bangladesh & the Philipines

“We have adopted Leti as our sister…We are one family”

“Working as a family day care educator has helped me become a part of the Australian community”

Kamala and Vany …. with Family

Born in Sri Lanka

“Quilting is so relaxing, I can just sit in front of the T.V and not think about anything”

Thank you

To all the amazing ladies who participated within my research project. It is a privilege to be able to work with such a group of intelligent women.

Love Liz