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MiStaffing launches new service to send qualified educators to support children at home
Freya Lucas
Mar 19, 2020
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Staffing solutions provider MiStaffing has announced it will extend its services, providing casual and permanent educators not only to early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, but also to families who are in need of in home support, as the country comes to grips with the COVID 19 pandemic.
For many families, this is a confusing and stressful time. A number of sectors and industries have directed their employees to work from home, in order to provide social distancing and limit the spread of COVID 19. As a result, some families have made the decision to remove their children from ECEC services, making the dual demands of working and providing care challenging to manage.For other families, who have children with risk factors for being seriously unwell should they contract COVID 19, it is simply too high of a risk to engage with ECEC services at this time.
"There will be pressure on families to find last minute safe care for their children at home, while still trying to either stay at work themselves or conduct meaningful work from home, as permitted,” MiStaffing CEO Sharyn Fewster said, explaining the origins of the popular childcare@home arm of the business.
"MiStaffing has developed its childcare@home capability to ensure that we can now provide qualified educators during the months ahead, particularly for frontline staff such as healthcare workers."
All educators working in the childcare@home program are qualified, casual educators who hold first aid certificates, have undergone a Working with Children check, and have either a Certificate III or Diploma of Early Childhood. The educators who work with the childcare@home program will also be given detailed expert information on how to prevent the spread of COVID 19, enhancing the peace of mind for families..
Families will not be able to access child care subsidy (CCS) for the childcare@home service, and must pay the educator an agreed rate directly, Ms Fewster said.
In terms of how the childcare@home service may support Approved Providers, Ms Fewster explained that ECEC services have the opportunity to connect their families with casual educators who may already be known to the children from their time in the service, providing continuity of care, and familiarity and comfort at this challenging time.
For staff who may experience a decline in the number of casual hours they are offered at service level, the childcare@home program may support them in maintaining income levels, and a sense of connection to the children and families of their service.
The business model adopted by organisations may vary according to their need, however MiStaffng provides the capability and support required to ensure the best outcome for the educators, families and organisation, Ms Fewster said.
“We have a large database of early childhood professionals currently looking to be employed, and see childcare@home as a solution to a range of potential issues soon to impact” she explained.
Families are able to register for free and connect with professionals to meet their childcare needs
"We have watched some of our friends and families worry about the impact of school and early learning services closures on their vital work as doctors, nurses and paramedics and we want them to know that we have their backs" Ms Fewster said in closing.
To learn more about how the childcare@home model works, or to register, please see here.
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