Koorie Pre-School Assistant (KPSA) Initiative
Koorie Pre-School Assistants (KPSAs) work out of local community-based organisations and support Koorie children and their families to engage with culturally inclusive kinder programs and support Koorie parents, families and carers feel confident and comfortable to be involved with the kinder journey.
Who:
KPSAs work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, their families, communities, teachers and early learning settings to improve learning, development and wellbeing outcomes for Koorie children.
KPSAs can start supporting a child from the time they are eligible for kinder.
If you are working with a Koorie child, consider engaging with a Koorie Engagement Support Officer (KESO) to further support the child’s entry into formal education.
What you can get
The long-term outcome of the KPSA initiative is improved learning, development, and wellbeing for Koorie children. A KPSA will provide support in the following ways:
- support the participation of Koorie children in funded kinder programs by working collaboratively with the kinder sector, related services, and Aboriginal families/local communities.
- enable culturally inclusive and welcoming kinder programs for Koorie children and families.
- assist Koorie families in engaging with their children's kinder service and support kinder services to actively involve the local community in providing input to the kinder program.
- provide information to Koorie families that enhances their participation in other key early childhood services and supports their children's transition to school.
KPSAs work with kinder educators and service management to build their capacity to ensure their service is culturally inclusive and the local Aboriginal community is engaged.
KPSAs also work with families in different ways to ensure they are engaged with their kindergarten service and their children are enrolled in a kinder program: Early Start Kindergarten (ESK), Funded Three-Year-Old kinder or Funded Four-Year-Old Kinder.
How to access
Professionals working with Koorie children and families can email their local Early Childhood Improvement Branch to enquire about support from a KPSA.
Resources
The Department of Education and Training has multiple resources available to support Koorie children and their families engage with formal learning, including:
- The Marrung strategy ensures that all Koorie Victorians achieve their learning aspirations.
- The School Readiness Funding menu offers many opportunities for educators and ECEC services to build Aboriginal cultural awareness and inclusion under the Access and Inclusion menu items.
VAEAI and the Victorian Inclusion Agency’s resource ‘Walking Together’ provides suggestions and resources for professionals to embed culturally safe practice in their work. It can also be used with parents and carers of Aboriginal children.
VAEAI’s guide, ‘Protocols for Koorie education in Victorian Early Childhood Centres’ offers guidance on appropriate protocols for ECEC centres.
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