Early Connections Alliance recognised for best practice in action

We’re celebrating an important milestone and have been officially recognised for best practice in action on the Mid North Coast! Thanks to the Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA), all our supporters, families and of course our dedicated team.

Early Connections Alliance celebrates two years! 

In 2016 five community based Early Childhood Intervention Programs (ECIPs) across the Mid North Coast formed an Early Connections Alliance Network to support communities transitioning to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

With 35 years experience working with families and sharing resources it was a natural step to form an official Alliance.

As well as aiming to create a stronger presence within the NDIS market place, our organisations wanted to maintain a strong connection and presence within our local communities.

Our five Early Childhood Intervention Providers are located across Manning, Great Lakes, Port Macquarie, Hastings, Kempsey, Nambucca Valley and Coffs Coast.

We place the inclusion of children within their local community as a core component of the new Alliance.

We’re proud to be an employer of choice and a centre for excellence in Early Childhood Intervention.

Today, Early Connections Alliance has successfully transitioned to the NDIS, increasing our team to 60 + professionals supporting 400 + families in 12 months.  

Our Alliance is a well recognised not for profit with one central website, a service provider Facebook page with 1,759 followers and a disability awareness campaign, Accept Difference with 9,500 Facebook followers.

Our transition to the NDIS – one of the biggest reforms to the disability sector – has been a smooth process with the successful opening of new locations to support families.

We’re delighted to have been selected and featured in the Early Childhood Intervention Australia ‘Cases For Change’ resource promoting Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention.

Our organisation was chosen to highlight our success in the areas of Inclusion, Teamwork and Universal Principles.

Thanks to ECIA for your continued support.

Cases for change – a practical resource supporting inclusion in early childhood settings

In Australia, the case for inclusive early childhood services is supported by ECIA’s National Guidelines for Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention that enable providers and workers across Australia, no matter where they operate from, to access the latest research and advice on disability support for young children.

At the core of the guidelines are four quality areas, underpinned by eight key best practices:

Quality Area 1: Family

Family-centred and Strengths-based Practice
Culturally Responsive Practice

Quality Area 2: Inclusion

Inclusive Participatory Practice
Engaging the Child in Natural Environments

Quality Area 3: Teamwork

Collaborative Teamwork Practice
Capacity-Building Practice

Quality Area 4: Universal Principles

Evidence Base, Standards, Accountability and Practice
Outcome-Based Approach

To support the capacity of early childhood workers to further improve the inclusion of children with developmental delay or disability, ECIA NSW/ACT  developed Cases for Change showcasing the work organisations are doing that is putting best practice in action, guided by the four quality areas.

Example case studies include a training partnership to provide qualifications to parents, moving playgroups into the community and embedding a celebration of inclusion among the children attending their local preschool.

Cases for Change Booklet