Since 1999, funding has been available to assist staff and management of child care services who could benefit from the support of skilled and experienced mentors.

• Program information
• Registration forms
• PSC-Tas information

What is the purpose of the Mentorship Program?

To:

• Appoint and assist experienced child care and other relevant professionals to work with child care services experiencing difficulties, for example, management issues, meeting licensing standards, financial management; 
• Appoint and assist mentors to provide relevant professional development for staff and/or management of child care services; an
• Enable the CCU to provide training for the child care sector and the development of resources relevant to licensing.

This program has significant potential to proactively assist services, ensuring they are supported in areas which go beyond the Child Care Unit?s responsibility for compliance.

Who is eligible?

All licensed child care services are eligible for funding through the Mentorship Program provided that:

• the request for mentorship is approved by the Director, Early Years; and
• the service is not able to receive assistance through other means for the issue identified eg through the PSC-Tas.

How is the need for mentorship identified?

The need is identified by either the Child Care Unit or the service.  If you feel that the CCU Mentorship Program may be able to assist your service, please discuss this with your Licensing Officer.  You may also wish to read the Mentorship Information Sheet for further information. 

I am interested in being a mentor.  How are mentors chosen

The Child Care Unit has recently developed a Mentor Register.  This provides the opportunity for child care personnel or organisations to nominate themselves as mentors, identifying their unique skills and experience.  This nomination is through the relevant Mentor Registration Form.

If accepted onto the Register, mentors need to be aware that there is no guarantee of how often they will be asked to participate in a mentoring relationship.  This will be dependent on how often projects arise and which mentor may be best suited to a particular project based on their skills and availability.

Further information about the Mentorship program is also available in the Mentorship Information Sheet.

Registration forms

Mentor Registration Form (Organisation).  This is to be used where an organisation is applying to be a mentor with the intent of providing staff as needed, appropriate to each mentorship project.  Prior to a staff member being involved, he/she will also need to complete a component of the Mentor Registration Form (Individual nominated on behalf of an organisation)

Mentor Registration Form (Individual nominated on behalf of an organisation).  This is to be used where an individual is nominating themselves as a mentor however will be covered by their employers?/organisation?s insurance and is performing the function on behalf of the organisation.

Mentor Registration Form (Individual).  This is to be used where an individual is applying to be a mentor.  Although he/she may be employed by a service, and need to be released from that workplace, the individual is fulfilling the role of mentor independent of their employer.  Where an individual does not have their own indemnity insurance, he/she may need to provide further information so that the Department is able to determine the level of risk in contracting a person without insurance coverage.

What is the connection between the CCU?s Mentorship Program and assistance through the PSC-Tas?

The role of PSC-Tas is primarily to provide assistance to services funded by the Australian Government.

There may be times where the PSC-Tas is the most appropriate avenue to assist a State-funded service: the CCU program may be able to assist by re-funding the costs the service has incurred through the PSC-Tas.  Website: www.psctas.org.au