Bringing calm, connection and confidence to summer OSHC

Each summer brings renewed energy for Outside School Hours Care (OSHC), and with it, a shift in pace, rhythms and challenges. The new‑season holiday program can introduce longer days, merged groups, unfamiliar children, and increased intensity. Without intentional planning and care, these shifts may affect the wellbeing of both children and educators. 

That’s why the Calm, Connected, Confident — Summer OSHC Edition webcast, developed by Child Australia in collaboration with Neurominded, offers timely guidance. The resource provides strategies and tools to help shape holiday‑time OSHC settings that support neurodivergent children and young people and foster more positive environments for all participants.

Vacation care often replaces the usual before‑ and after‑school routine with longer days, split shifts, and sometimes service relocations or merged groups. This affects scheduling, staffing, and consistency in children’s experiences. 

Services may welcome children who don’t usually attend, sometimes with little notice. New arrivals, especially neurodivergent children, may find sudden changes overwhelming. 

The combination of longer days, complex programming, and the need for heightened supervision can strain educators physically and emotionally, raising stress and burnout risks. 

Fostering connection doesn’t require extended time, often, small moments matter the most. Educators can: 

• Engage in a short conversation with a caregiver or child at arrival even a few minutes can build trust. 
• Observe how a child may already be self‑regulating (e.g. use of fidget toys, movement, ear defenders) and invite gentle conversation like: “I see your ear defenders, loud places can be tricky…” This signals acceptance and respect for their needs. 
• Provide alternative communication pathways (drawing, writing, pointing) when verbal communication feels too demanding. 
• When a child’s neurodivergence is known, draw on insights from families or previous educators to shape a responsive and respectful relationship. 

These practices lay the groundwork for belonging, trust and regulation.

Holiday programs can be sensory‑intense: bright, noisy, hot, busy. Adapting spaces to be sensory friendly benefits everyone, not just neurodivergent children. Key actions include: 

• Reflect on the physical environment,  lighting, sound echo, clutter, visual or noise overload and adjust accordingly.
• Normalise and support sensory tools such as fidgets, ear defenders or movement breaks. These are not distractions but aids for regulation, comparable to eyeglasses for someone with vision needs.
• Incorporate daily “heavy work” or movement breaks to support regulation before or during the day’s activities. 
• Offer small-group options or quiet starts to accommodate children who may struggle with large-group sensory intensity. 
• When verbal communication is overwhelming, integrate more visual or nonverbal cues to support understanding and participation. 

By embedding these intentional, neuro‑affirming practices, educators and OSHC services can transform potentially chaotic holiday programs into safe, supportive, inclusive environments. This benefits neurodivergent children but also improves the experience for all children, their families, and the educators themselves. 

When children feel understood and supported, they are more likely to engage, regulate, and participate meaningfully. When educators feel prepared and supported, they can deliver with calm and confidence.

Holiday care doesn’t need to be chaotic. With thoughtful planning and small, everyday practices, OSHC programs can become spaces where all children flourish and where staff feel resilient and connected.

This resource is valuable for:

• OSHC coordinators and directors planning 2025–26 summer holiday programmes.
• Educators working in vacation care settings who want to embed inclusive, neurodiversity‑affirming practices.
• Service providers committed to supporting the wellbeing of children and staff under the increasing demands of longer holiday programs.
• Leadership teams aiming to design OSHC projects that prioritise regulation, connection and inclusivity.

As the summer season approaches, OSHC services face a complex balance: providing energetic, engaging holiday care while also protecting children’s and educators’ wellbeing. The “Calm, Connected, Confident” webcast from Child Australia offers a practical, strength‑based framework to do exactly that.

Embedding these strategies can make all the difference ensuring vacation care is not only fun, but supportive, calming and inclusive.

Access the webcast on the Child Australia website.