Supporting children with additional needs

The Preschool Field Officer (PSFO) Program helps educators to build their confidence, knowledge and skills to provide an inclusive program that is responsive to the needs of all children.

The service is funded by the Department of Education and Training and Moonee Valley City Council.

The PSFO service is available to educators requesting inclusion support for children with additional needs who attend a State-funded 3- or 4-year-old Kindergarten program or Early Start Kindergarten in Moonee Valley.

This may include long day care centres and sessional kindergartens as well as independent and government schools.

The PSFO program Guidelines 2022 defines children with additional needs as children presenting with developmental concerns. Developmental concerns may be associated with any area of children’s development, from language delays or challenging behaviours through to children with multiple disabilities. Children with additional needs resulting from trauma are also eligible for PSFO support.

The PSFO program is available at no cost to State Government-funded kindergarten services in Moonee Valley.

If a child’s development is supported by NDIS or an Early Intervention provider it is expected that the early childhood educator in consultation with the family will seek support from this provider in the first instance. If the educator has made all efforts but has been unable to engage these supports, they can request support from the PSFO service.

Support to educators may include:

• onsite, virtual and phone consultations
• providing information, resources and strategies
• contributing to the assessment to identify a child with additional needs, through observation and strength-based discussion of a child’s capabilities as well as their learning and development needs
• supporting early childhood educator’s confidence and capacity to respond to a family’s concerns regarding their child’s development
• providing planning support that respects, acknowledges and complements the educator’s expertise in supporting children’s learning and development
• coaching educators to assist with planning and implementation of an inclusive kindergarten program that supports a child with additional needs
• building professional partnerships and collaborative relationships with educators
• modelling of specific skills, suggestions and strategies
• assistance to embed child specific teaching and learning approaches and opportunities into the everyday kindergarten environment
• identifying referral pathways and facilitating links for families to child and family supports, including more specialised assessment and services where indicated.

We recognise that the early childhood educators are the first point of contact with families and know their child best. PSFO support educators to build trusting and respectful relationship with families and use a range of capacity building strategies with educators that may include:

• discussing the types of evidence and information that could be used when talking with families about a child’s development
• supporting educators to develop a script or discussion points before meeting with families
• acting as support for the educator as they lead strength-based conversations
• supporting the educator to understand the range of services and supports available to families, and assisting them to link families to available supports
• supporting the educators program planning to incorporate elements for additional needs.

Educators can talk to a PSFO without a referral for a general conversation, which may then lead to the recommendation to make a referral.

This support does not include discussion or observation of a child, but is of a general nature for advice or links to resources.

Educators must complete a referral form with the parent/s or guardian/s of the child to request PSFO support.

Please complete and submit Preschool Field Officer Consent Form

For further information please visit the Department of Education and Training website or email psfo@mvcc.vic.gov.au