Corangamite Shire Children's Services

Corangamite Shire Council plays a major role in coordinating the health and wellbeing of families and young children in Corangamite Shire. Services include maternal and child health; kindergartens; mobile child care; family day care and in-home care services.
Maternal and Child Health Service (MCH) Service is an integral component of a comprehensive system of Child and Family Services in the shire, providing a universal health service for children from birth to school age.

The Service focuses on promotion of health and development, prevention, early detection and intervention for physical, emotional and social factors affecting young children. The MCH is provided in partnership between local government authorities (LGA’s) and the Department of Education and Training (DET).

The Service consists of the Universal Maternal and Child Health Service, Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Service and the Maternal and Child Health Line. An interpreter is also available for all of our MCH Services.

While the Service is primarily for the child, it also focuses on the health and wellbeing of the mother and the family in the context of the child’s health and wellbeing.

Visits to the MCH Nurse at the 10 Key Age and Stages (KAS) are recommended to review the health, growth and development of your child. Some of these key visits also coincide with scheduled immunisations as part of the Australian Childhood Immunisation Program, so parents or care-givers have the convenience of a health assessment and their child’s immunisation in the same consultation. Your child’s progress will be recorded in their Child Health Record, which can be taken to other professionals who may be involved with monitoring your child’s health and wellbeing too.

The MCH Service offers families information, guidance and support on issues including:
• Breastfeeding
• Child health and development assessment
• Maternal health
• Parent-child relationships
• Child Safety
• Immunisation
• Nutrition
• Family Planning
• Sleep
• Behaviour management

http://www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/index.php/community/261-maternal-a-child-health

Kindergarten is a program for children in the year or two before they start school. For children it can be a fun time to play and learn skills for future school success.
Participation in a kindergarten program provides children with important learning experiences and improves children’s development in the following key areas:
• Social skills i.e. how to play with other children in a calm, sharing and rewarding way
• Self-awareness and respect for others
• Emotional skills i.e. understanding their feelings
• Language, literacy and numeracy skills i.e. reading stories and counting objects
• A joy for learning and group activities i.e. talking, drawing and making things together with other children their own age
• Ability to make new friends
• Exposure to new ideas and concepts Kindergarten can also provide families with access to:
• Support and assistance for children with special needs
• Resources

http://www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/index.php/community/802-2015-kinder-enrolments-now-being-taken
Mobile Child Care is designed to provide quality child care to rural areas and towns within the Corangamite region . . . from the coastal town of Port Campbell, through the strong dairying communities of Ecklin, Glenormiston and The Sisters, to the pastoral and cropping region of Derrinallum, Lismore, Skipton and Lake Bolac, and has been operating since 1992.
Our service is a Limited Hours Type 2 service licence and offers care from eight venues each week, including Public Halls, Kindergartens and Community Recreation Reserves.
Qualified and trained educators deliver the child care service, which is coordinated by Corangamite Shire. The planned programs offer active and flexible learning, and social opportunities for children from 6 months to 6 years of age.
http://www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/index.php/community/240-mobile-child-care
Family Day Care – a flexible approach to meeting childcare needs in Corangamite.
Family Day Care promotes strong relationships and community involvement which is nurtured as children bond with their educator and use local resources such as parks, playgrounds, libraries, edgym, and shops.
Learning through play! Family Day Care educators use learning opportunities in daily routines and play to plan a program that meets each child’s individual strengths, interests, and development.
Family Day Care has groups of up to 4 preschool children, and 3 school aged children in a family home or home like location. Operating under the same national regulations as kindergarten and long day care individual qualified educators provide a stable environment for children.
Qualified coordination unit staff provide educational leadership, monitoring, resources and support for both educators and families. The coordination unit is also responsible for administration and accountability of timesheets, accounts and government subsidies.
Our target is to have a network of carefully selected, qualified educators available throughout the shire. If you are interested in accessing a vacancy or becoming a childcare educator please contact the coordination unit on 55937149
http://www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/index.php/community/198-family-day-care