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Affinity Education Group partners with ESA to offer educator training
Freya Lucas
Jul 01, 2024
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Early childhood educators from Affinity Education Group will benefit from a new partnership with Early Start Australia (ESA) which will provide educator training while also offering Australian families access to therapy support, screening programs, and information about best practice early childhood intervention strategies.
ESA provides therapy support for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, developmental delay, or disability, including those on the autism spectrum, and the new partnership between Affinity and ESA will include three key strategies:
- Online learning vignettes for early childhood educators – a series of training videos with key themes aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework on topics including complex disability, trauma informed care, sensory and emotional regulation, creating neurodevelopmental inclusive services, managing challenging behaviours and early education environments.
- Face to face workshops and in-centre coaching and mentoring to build capabilities and strategies directly with educators working with children with complex needs.
- Referral pathway and dedicated customer care team for families seeking information about services available for their child.
“We know how many families look to educators for guidance when they think their children may need some additional support, and additionally, we know how challenging that support can be for educators who are not experienced in these areas, so this partnership will address the needs of both groups,” James Meldrum, Head of Engagement at Early Start Australia explained.
“Our passionate and experienced teams of therapists will work with children and their families to help them achieve their growth and development goals through communication, motor, cognitive, social and emotional skills.”
For Affinity’s Head of Education and Pedagogy Dr Lesley Jones the partnership responds to a critical gap where families need support, and educators need specialist knowledge to assist then in navigating the complex funding and support systems available to them.
“We don’t expect our Centre Managers, educators or teachers to be experts in these systems, and now they will be able to refer families directly on to the Early Start Australia customer care team, who are liaising and working closely with government funding programs,” she explained.
“Ultimately, we want to tailor our early education experience to the unique needs of every child, so they can realise their full potential.”
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