Ethnic Child Care Family and Community Services Co-operative Limited

About Us

PHILOSOPHY

The underpinning philosophy of the Co-operative is Social Justice, with particular emphasis on Access &Equity and Multiculturalism in Children's,Aged and Disability Services.

Mission

The Co-operative is committed to ensure that people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds be provided with the opportunity to participate and receive services relevant, sensitive and appropriate to their linguistic, cultural, religious and lifestyle needs. This is also in accordance with the existing range of legislation.

History

The Ethnic Child Care Family and Community Services Co-operative Ltd., was established in 1978 with the coming together of seven ethnic communities which had received capital and recurrent funding from the then Commonwealth Department of Social Security to set up Long Day Child Care Centres in various geographic areas to meet their child care needs. In 1979, the Department through the Children's Services Program under the Special Services provided funding to the Co-operative to set up the Ethnic Child Care Development Unit as a Special Resource, Advisory and Training Agency. The aim of the program was to assist the seven ethnic communities to establish their child care centres, to research the child care needs of ethnic communities in the inner and outer metropolitan Sydney, to provide relevant information to ethnic families and communities for them to access child care services and to work with children's services to provide training, advice, resources and support to enable them to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care. In the 29 years of its existence the membership has increased from the original 7 member organisations to 56 non-profit community based organisations which operate children's, welfare, disability, social, recreational, aged care, respite care, vacation care, cultural, and educational services. Some are funded by the three levels of government others operate on a voluntary basis and from fund raising activities.

The Co-operative is the state-wide peak organisation in NSW on CALD issues in Children's and Disability Services and is funded by the Department Of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations (DEEWR), State Government Department of Ageing Disability and Home Care, the Department of Community Services and the Department of Health and Ageing to operate programs targeting the CALD children, families and communities to facilitate access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services to meet their needs.

Our Current Programs

Bicultural Support Program

Formerly known as the Casual Ethnic Workers Pool (CEWP), the Bicultural Support Pool is a program operated by the Ethnic Child Care Family and Community Services Co-operative for Children's Services Central and is funded by the Department Of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations (DEEWR).The Bicultural Support Pool offers time limited linguistic and cultural and other support to Children's Services. The Bicultural Support Workers aim to educate, inform and empower Children's Services staff to enable them to support and include CALD and Indigenous children and families in the their services by providing hands on language support, assistance in planning, implementing and modelling appropriate cultural activities and programs, and providing relevant resources and information.

Children's Services CALD Project (South East Sydney, Inner West, Northern Sydney & South West DOCS Regions)

This program is funded by the NSW Department of Community Services. The aim of the project is to provide support, training and resource development to children's service providers and staff to improve access and opportunities for families and children from CALD backgrounds encompassing the Local Government Areas of the Inner West, Northern Sydney, Northern Beaches and South East Sydney and South West DoCS regions.The project works with all children's services including family day care, vacation care, OOSH, long day care, preschools, and home based care.

Cultural Diversity Training for Disability Advocacy and Information Services (RTO)

Training sessions pertaining to cultural diversity and disability have been developed for management, staff and volunteers in line with the National Competency Standards. The modules and training packages have continued to be provided to all DAD&HC funded disability, advocacy, information and related services throughout New South Wales.Training [1]

Ethnic People with Disabilities Program (EPDP).

A community development program, funded by the NSW Department of Ageing,Disability and Home Care which aims to create awareness and understanding of disability and multicultural issues within CALD communities, Government Departments and ethnic and disability service providers.The EPDP provides information and support to people with disabilities from CALD, encourages the development of support networks for them and increases access to disability services by the target groups through information provision, training, ongoing support and consultation.

Eastern Sydney Multicultural Access Project (ESMAP).

A program funded by the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care which aims to ensure that HACC funded services providers and related health and aged care services are relevant to the needs of the CALD groups. The project focuses on service evaluation, structural development, community development activities and promotion strategies and cross-cultural training for management, staff and volunteers. ESMAP has part-time Italian, Russian and Greek bi-lingual support workers who provide information and referral to existing and potential consumers.It covers the Local Government areas of Botany Bay, Randwick, South Sydney,Sydney, Waverley and Woollahra.

Inner West Multicultural Access Project -(Korean/Vietnamese/Nepalese)

The program is funded by the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and aims to facilitate and enhance access to HACC and HACC like services for the Korean, Vietnamese & Nepalese speaking communities in the Inner West. This is achieved by the promotion of HACC funded services to the Korean, Vietnamese & Nepalese speaking communities, assisting HACC funded services to implement culturally appropriate activities, and providing language support and assistance to the members of these communities.

Multicultural Respite Service (MRS).

The program is funded by various departments including, the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, NSW Department of Community Services and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. The main aim of the program is to provide one to one Respite Care, Peer Support, Recreation and Vacation Care for children and young people with different disabilities and their families from CALD background and support their carers to continue their caring roles.

The program targets CALD people with disabilities and their families who reside in the Marrickville/Canterbury LGA's, but the geographic boundaries extend to Leichhardt, Canada Bay, Strathfield, Burwood and Ashfield for the Women's Group.