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Innovative Solutions Support provides funding for flexible and tailored inclusion support that goes beyond the scope of support that can be provided by Inclusion Agencies. Inclusion Professionals support services to apply for Innovative Solutions Support.

Innovative Solutions Support can be accessed by the following types of services when they have been approved to operate and administer the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). Services apply for funding for Innovative Solutions Support via the online Inclusion Support Portal (IS Portal). Approved services include:

• Centre-Based Day Care
• Long Day Care
• Occasional Care
• Outside School Hours Care including before, after and vacation care

While there is no national definition of additional needs, for the purposes of Innovative Solutions Support, additional needs may arise for children who:

• have a disability or developmental delay or are currently undergoing assessment for disability
• have a serious medical or health condition, including mental health
• are presenting with challenging behaviours or trauma related behaviours

Meeting the needs and requirements of:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
• children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• children from refugee or humanitarian backgrounds

may also require specific considerations, such as language or cultural support, to ensure that these children are able to participate fully in ECEC services and experience positive outcomes.

IPs play an important role in supporting services to access and implement Innovative Solutions Support Projects. Before beginning the Innovative Solutions Support Project application process, services should consult with their IP to determine if Innovative Solutions Support is the best fit for their specific needs.

Developing an Innovative Solutions Support Project requires the service to:

• Consult with their Inclusion Professional (IP)
• Have a current Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) (in most cases)
• Complete an application
• Develop a Project Plan (where required)
• Select a Support Provider and obtain a financial quote
• Create and submit an IS Case on the IS Portal

IPs are required to endorse the services application before it can be submitted to the Inclusion Development Fund Manager for Approval (IDFM).

Routine Applications

Before commencing an Innovative Solutions Support Project application, the service must have a current Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) in the IS Portal which includes a Care Environment Plan for the Care Environment/s seeking to access Innovative Solutions Support. In the case of urgent applications this is not an immediate requirement. Please refer to urgent applications information below.

To be eligible to apply for Innovative Solutions, the Care Environment Plan/s must demonstrate that an Innovative Solutions Support Project is the most appropriate solution to overcome at least one of the Barriers identified.

• The Strategy Category of Inclusion Development Fund and the Strategy of IDF Innovative Solutions Support must be chosen from the list of available Strategies options and linked to at least one or more Barriers.
• The Action/s linked to the IDF Innovative Solutions Support Strategies should outline how the Project will build the skills, knowledge and confidence of educators to include children with additional needs, from the identified cohort of children the Project seeks to support and how the Project will lead to their genuine inclusion.

SIP Care Environment Plans will include additional Barriers, Strategies and Actions that are not related to the services’ need to access Innovative Solutions.

Urgent Applications – Bilingual Support or Specialised Training and Advice Projects only

Applications are only considered urgent where a child’s enrolment or continued attendance is dependent on the ability of the service to access Innovative Solutions Support.

A SIP is not required for urgent Projects, however, after the assessment and outcome of the application the service is required to develop their SIP, including a SIP Care Environment Plan for the Care Environment/s participating in the Innovative Solutions Support Project as noted above.

Future IDF applications will not be considered until this requirement has been met.

A group application is where a number of services who have identified the same, or similar, inclusion Barriers work together to develop a joint Project application that will lead to the genuine inclusion of children with additional needs across multiple services.

One service must be nominated as the lead for the Project. This service will be responsible for submitting the application on the IS Portal and administering the Project. This includes taking responsibility for complying with the Conditions of Funding and ensuring other services in the group understand their obligations as per the Conditions of Funding.

Each service must develop a SIP and Care environment Plan demonstrating that an Innovative Solutions Support Group Project is the most appropriate solution to overcome their inclusion Barriers

In addition to completing a Project Plan, Application Form and obtaining a Financial Quote from the chosen Support Provider, Group applications must also be accompanied by a completed Group Application Details form.

The details of each service participating in the group Project, including their names, SIP and CCS IDs and the name of their IP are documented on this from along with a rationale for the group Project and an explanation of how the group Project will result in improved inclusion outcomes for all of the participating services.

The IP supporting the lead service is required to endorse the group application after they have consulted with each of the participating services IPs. Where the services involved in a group application are located in different states or territories this consultation must occur with each of the relevant Inclusion Agencies.

The IDFM will consider this information, along with the cost effectiveness of the group Project, when assessing the application.

The Australian Government Department of Education (the department) may also directly fund relevant organisations (such as ECEC peak bodies and inclusion specialists) to deliver large strategic and collaborative projects across a region or state/territory to promote innovation and support for inclusive practices within ECEC services.

For further information please contact the department directly

Project Plans are required for some Projects. Project Plan requirements are outlined in each Project Application Form.

Developing a Project Plan is an important part of the planning process. Project plans show who will be doing what, and when and how it will be implemented.

Using the resources below, an Innovative Solutions Support Project Plan should be developed in consultation with your Inclusion Professional and your chosen Support Provider.

Services are required to upload their application from and relevant attachments to the IS Portal. Once submitted, each application is sent to the service's Inclusion Professional for endorsement and is then assessed by the Inclusion Development Fund Manager (IDFM).

Application Outcome

If funding is approved

The service will receive an email with a Letter of Offer attached, providing the details of their approved Innovative Solutions Case. This will be sent to the Service Provider email address listed on the SIP. This letter must be signed and returned to the IDF Manager within 5 days of receipt to idfminnovative@ku.com.au. Once the signed letter is received the funds will be executed. The payment will be made directly to the service from the Department within 4-6 business days to payee details of the nominated bank account in the IS Portal.

If funding is not approved

The service will receive an email with an Application Declined letter attached. This will be sent to the Service Provider email address listed on the SIP. The outcome of the assessment will be available as an ‘Assessment Outcome’ note on the IS Case.