NOSHSA welcomes opportunity to increase OSHC profile by working with OSHCA

The National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA) has responded to the recent announcement of the formation of the newly established Outside School Hours Care Council of Australia (OSHCA), welcoming them into the representational and advocacy space for the national interests of outside school hours care (OSHC) providers.

“It is NOSHSA’s intention to work collaboratively with OSHCA in recognition of our shared interests in advancing and promoting the OSHC sector in Australia. NOSHSA recognises the value in strengthening the voice of OSHC to our State/Territory and Federal governments and making this voice visible to our members”, NOSHSA Chair Kylie Brannelly said.

NOSHSA has a long history of actively leading and advancing the OSHC sector for over 20 years, one which Ms Brannelly said “has delivered tremendous results”, including having been acknowledged by Federal Minister for Education, Dan Tehan, for the work undertaken to advocate for the needs of the OSHC sector during COVID 19, and for the Alliance’s work in encouraging the Government to “better understand the unique operating contexts for OSHC.”

“I understand that you and members of your organisation provided valuable input to the recently completed review of the OSHC sector that I requested, and I thank you for your ongoing contribution” correspondence from Mr Tehan read.

“I can assure you that the input provided by NOSHSA and other OSHC providers to the KPMG report has already helped inform recent government responses to viability issues within the OSHC sector.”

NOSHSA operates under a federated model of advocacy, meaning that the State and Territory Peak bodies representing OSHC work together in collaboration to form an Alliance, guided by an agreement which informs how the alliance functions and makes decisions.

NOSHSA’s branches are:

Queensland & Northern Territory: Queensland Children’s Activities Network (QCAN) • New South Wales & ACT: Network of Community Activities (Network)
Victoria: Community Child Care Association
South Australia: OSHCsa
Western Australia: Outside School Hours Care WA (Inc.)

Past successes arising from the advocacy work of NOSHSA include:

Overseeing the development of My Time, Our Place through participation in the steering committee
Partnership with the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) to develop the resource ‘Promoting collaborative partnerships between school age care services and schools’
Funding to support the OSHC sector’s engagement with My Time, Our Place

Representation of OSHC on the former Australian Government’s Ministerial Advisory Council for ECEC
Membership of Australian Government advisory group for the implementation of Child Care Subsidy
Current representation of the OSHC sector with the Australian Government ECE Reference Group

In this way, Ms Brannelly said, NOSHSA has been at the forefront of advocacy, influencing policy and practice for the past three decades and maintaining a commitment to this work into the future.

Further information about NOSHSA’s work may be found on their website, here.