Inclusion Support QLD is part of the Inclusion Support Program and is managed by KU Children’s Services, in partnership with Cairns and District Child Care Development Association.
The Inclusion Support Program aims to build the capacity and capability of educators to address participation barriers for all children through implementing quality inclusive practices.
When we are talking about inclusion, are we talking about the same thing?
Inclusion, as stipulated in the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 involves:
‘taking into account all children’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity (including learning styles, abilities, disabilities, gender, sexual identity, family circumstances and geographic location) in curriculum decision-making processes. The intent is to ensure that:
Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE] (2022). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (V2.0). Canberra: Australian Government Department of Education for the Ministerial Council, (p.66).
All children have the right to be included in early education and care. We know from research that all children benefit from belonging to, and participating in, quality inclusive child care.
An inclusive service provides an opportunity for children to play, develop and learn together with children of their own age. These relationships are the foundations for learning and provide a powerful way of belonging to a group and developing a sense of self.
Our team of Inclusion Professionals support both whole Family Day Care services and individual Family Day Care educators.
We recognise that the inclusion journey of each Family Day Care provider is unique and that the inclusion needs of the whole Family Day Care service and individual educators can be quite different. The support we provide will be tailored to meet your identified inclusion needs.
You will be directly supported by our team of Inclusion Professionals, who are based at Inclusion Hubs across QLD.
Our Inclusion Professionals use a strengths-based approach, including coaching and practical inclusion advice when supporting you. We can provide you with a combination of flexible support options that include over the phone and online appointments and/or visits to your Family Day Care service.
In some circumstances, when additional resources may be required, visits to Family Day Care educator homes can also be arranged.
Your Inclusion Professional can/will support you to:
As Inclusion Professionals we are unable to:
A Strategic Inclusion Plan is the first step in accessing support from the Inclusion Agency.
The Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) is a self-guided inclusion assessment and planning tool for services, which includes strategies for improving and embedding inclusive practice, in line with the National Quality Standard (NQS).
Developing a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP), in conjunction with us, supports you to identify your current inclusion capacity as well as identify strategies and actions you and your team will implement to ensure all children can actively and meaningfully participate in the program.
A Strategic Inclusion Plan is developed, implemented and evaluated within a 12 month period and can be updated at any time to reflect changes and to record progress.
A Strategic Inclusion Plan also links with your service’s Quality Improvement Plan and may be sighted by Authorised Officers from state and territory regulatory authorities, as evidence of critical reflection and inclusion planning.
Developing a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) for your whole Family Day Care service, in conjunction with us, supports you to identify your current inclusion capacity as well as identify strategies and actions you and your team will implement to ensure all children can actively and meaningfully participate in the program.
In consultation with your Family Day Care service, developing a Strategic Inclusion Plan supports you to identify your current inclusion capacity as well as the strategies and actions you will implement to ensure all children can actively and meaningfully participate in your program
An Inclusion Professional will help you on your inclusion journey by:
Inclusion Support QLD recognises your commitment to inclusion by providing your service with an “Our service values inclusion” acknowledgement when you have an active Strategic Inclusion Plan.
This acknowledgement can be displayed to show families, the community, Authorised Officers, and any other visitors to your service/home that you value inclusion.
Each year that you maintain an active SIP, your Inclusion Professional will provide you with a star which shows that you continue to value inclusion.
While there is no national definition of ‘additional needs’, there are children who may need or require specific considerations or adaptations to participate fully in ECEC services (although not all children with additional needs will require support).
The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) supports educators to address access and participation barriers and to support the inclusion of children with additional needs, with their typically developing peers.
and for children from:
Extract from: Department of Education, Inclusion Support Program Guidelines, Version 2.6, October 2025.
Inclusion Support QLD includes the Specialist Equipment Library (SEL). The SEL loans a range of specialist equipment, free of charge, to early childhood education and care Family Day Care services to enable children to access and participate in all aspects of the program.
Through the development of a Strategic Inclusion Plan, educators might identify inclusion barriers that cannot be resolved through accessing support from the Inclusion Agency or Specialist Equipment Library (SEL) alone.
In these circumstances, the Inclusion Support Program (ISP) can provide further support to services through the Inclusion Development Fund Manager (IDFM).
There are two streams of Inclusion Development Funds (IDF) available to support Family Day Care services and educators to address barriers to inclusion. Each have different eligibility criteria, application processes and approved funding purposes. These two streams of IDF funding include:
The Family Day Care (FDC) Top Up provides a fee top up payment to an educator, where the inclusion of a child with a disability results in the educator being unable to enrol the maximum number of children as allowed under the National Law.
Innovative Solutions Support funds flexible and alternative solutions to address inclusion barriers in Family Day Care services
Inclusion Together is a free online resource that provides practical tools for supporting a child's learning, development and inclusion in an early childhood education and care service. This resource is designed to support the inclusion of children with disability or developmental differences through building an inclusion team that works well together.
Each section of Inclusion Together has information, ideas, strategies and videos that support an inclusion team to work together to strengthen inclusion and support children to play, learn, develop and thrive.
As a Family Day Care service, you are encouraged and welcome to contact your Inclusion Professional directly, at a time that is convenient for you. Their contact details can be located at the bottom of each email they have sent the service.
As a Family Day Care educator, in consultation with your Family Day Care service, you can access support from your Inclusion Professional.
Alternatively, please feel free to contact our friendly staff on 1800 811 039 (toll-free) or email us at inclusionsupportqld@ku.com.au
Inclusion Support QLD is also committed to contacting each Family Day Care service at least twice each year, via phone or email. This provides you with the perfect opportunity to access support and share your inclusion achievements and challenges with your Inclusion Professional.
Your Inclusion Professional will also be able to share with you information about available inclusion resources, upcoming professional conversations opportunities and program support options.
We look forward to working with you soon and sharing in your inclusion journey.
