Explain The Principles Relating To Children's Rights

The principles relating to children’s rights as found in The Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Equal Opportunity legislation will direct the service in determining diversity and cultural competence in a centre. The education and care service believes each and every child has the right to have their culture acknowledged, respected and recognises the significance of valuing the diversity of expectations, perspectives, experience, knowledge and skills that any people of the community will have to encompass, and will support the inclusion of all children together with those with extra needs.

Purpose: The purpose of this kit is to provide new staff with an overview of the knowledge required to equip new employees to enact culturally competency.

Cultural Competence: The term cultural competence is able being able to interact with all individuals in an appropriate way, as well as being able to treat individuals with the level of respect and dignity that they deserve. Individuals should feel as though they are comfortable and meets with their standards of appropriateness
Relevant Legislation
• Equal Opportunity Act (2010)
• Fair Work Act (2009)
• Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act (1986)
• Education and Care Services National Regulation (2011)
• The United

Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child
• Early Childhood Code Of Ethics

Needs individuals related to cultural competence:
Children: It is important for children to feel accepted and valued for who they are, to have the all of their individual needs acknowledged and met. Being able to recognise prejudice behaviours and discrimination. Children should always be treated equally and fairly.

Families/parents/guardians: To be asked and discuss their own cultural background and cultural beliefs. Families should feel as though there culture will be reflected in the service. All families are to be invited to take part and be included to participate in the service and its activities. Being a valued member and having their needs meet.

Educators & Management: Constant communication with parents, and all staff, families value diversity and support the services policy, training and resources in order to support diversity at the service.

Policy & Principles:
• Issues concerning equity, bias and discrimination will be added into the program to create children’s understanding and awareness of cultural issues and what is and isn’t right. The children will be encouraged to challenge unjust and biased views. Staff should always role model the correct language and behaviours. Staff should watch their own bias to make certain that they are not being passed on to others.

• Educators will acquire and use resources that reflect the diversity of children as well as families and the broader community, increasing awareness and appreciation of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and multicultural heritage.

• Children with special needs or disability will be provided with the support so they can be included as equal individuals within the service. Requiring the assistance of social, ethnic or special needs services, which the service will access in collaboration with the child’s family, and/or adapting the environment, routines and/or educator/staffing arrangements in order to make all included and feel safe

• Educators, and supervisors, will be sensitive and attentive to all children, while respecting their backgrounds, as well as there qualities and abilities, make sure that the services environment reflects the lives of the children and families using the service and the cultural diversity of the broader community, and ensure children’s individual needs are accommodated at the service.

• Educators should always treat all children equally and support them to treat each other with respect and fairness, while meet their full potential.

• Educators should work in partnership with families to provide care that meets the child’s needs and is consistent with the family’s culture, beliefs and childcare practices. Specific requests will be honoured where practical to demonstrate respect and ensure continuity of care of the child.

Resources To Help Educators Incorporate Cultural Competence:
• Refer co-workers to Aboriginal community services- Talking to Aboriginal support workers, or elders within your local community to gather an understanding of their traditional customs and to learn from them in order to support children, becoming more culturally aware.
• Provide links to current legislation- Resources such as Equal Opportunity Act (2010), Fair Work Act (2009), Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act (1986), Education and Care Services National Regulation (2011), The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child, Early Childhood Code Of Ethics, are resources to assist in understand the of relevant legislations that can show an understanding of cultural competence.
• Interpreter- Communication between families is crucial, it is so important that families can communicate regardless of their race and culture. So providing parents during enrolment and meetings with an interpreter can accommodate for the cultural needs of families and parents, while maintaining respect for their needs.
• Provide training or refer to extra training - Going to training seminars such as disability training, cultural training to learn how to engage with individuals, speaking with trained professionals about, what it means to have a cultural understand and how we can engage in being positive about children, families and co-workers culture needs.
• Provide mentoring or coaching to staff- By providing mentoring or coaching to staff we are further engaging in becoming more knowledgeable. Having someone who has experience and has previously had to learn and deal with cultural differences allows us to teach and aid others in doing there very best to become culturally competent in the work place.
• Discussion/meeting- Meeting with parents and discussing their beliefs an traditions. Asking them, how we can best accommodate to the needs of their children and how we can assist. Being able to have this one on one time with parents and getting to know their cultural beliefs is a good way to engage and acknowledge their culture and what is best for there children.
• Refer to EYLF- The EYLF gives a clear outline of what cultural competence means refer to it to fully understand and get an clear idea of what it means to be culturally competent.

SAMPLE POLICIES & PROCEDURES:
The following are examples of policies and procedures in relation to each heading. Source from www.brightfuturesfamilydaycare.com.au/resources/FDC-PRG-02---Policies-and-Procedures.pdf

Equal Opportunity- Bright Futures Family Day Care Service is committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity in relation to community access to the service and the appointment of staff.

Individuals will be treated with respect regardless of their gender, race, religion, age, impairment, marital status, political conviction, pregnancy, family responsibility or family status. The service will actively promote the positive aspects of diversity and encourage acceptance and appreciation of individual differences. Education and care will be made available to the community in accordance with the Commonwealth “Priority of Access

Guidelines”.

Diversity & inclusion- The service will have in place policies and procedures that are based on the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity. Equal Opportunity principles will be an integral part of the service’s daily programs and routines. Children will be given positive experiences which encourage equal opportunity. Programs will actively include opportunities for the children to experience diversity of culture, gender roles etc. The service will support family day care educators in their efforts to include children with a disability within their service by actively participating in the Inclusion Support Program.

Enrolment & orientation: Provide language support when a parent is having difficulty in completing the form. An enrolment interview should be conducted and if necessary organised in the parent’s first language. Keep all child enrolment records until the end of 3 years after the child’s last attendance.

Orientation: Work with families to identify the individual education and care requirements of each child and their family. This will include tailoring the orientation / settling in process to meet the needs of individual children and families in order to support the continuity of care between home and the family day care residence/approved venue. Ensure every family day care educator and educator assistant is provided with orientation training.

Communication with families: The family day care educator will consult and collaborate with families to best ensure children’s nutritional needs are met. Food and dietary preferences as indicated by families [such as vegetarianism, religious needs] will be accounted for in the menu planning. The family day care educator will communicate with parent/s/families about the child’s daily intake and output of food and fluids. Any diagnosed allergies of the child will be clearly written on the enrolment form. In consultation with parent/s/families, the family day care educator will develop an action plan for children with food allergies. Parents of a child with a known food allergy are to provide the family day care educator with medical action plan. . Family day care educators will inform parent/s or nominated person on the enrolment form following a first aid response. Respect the rights of Educators, children and families, ensuring all interactions are fair and lawful. Be aware of and accommodate the special needs of culturally and linguistically diverse families in relation to special rules for storing, preparing and serving foods such as Halal and Kosher food.