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Important Notice

The IDFM Office will close for phone and email queries at 1pm on Monday 23 December 2024 and reopen at 9am on Thursday 2 January 2025. The IDFM team will continue to assess applications during this period. All enquiries received during this period will be responded to as soon as possible when the IDFM Office reopens.


Great news – Improvements to the IS Portal & New Resource for Services!

A quick guide and full guide are available to support you to navigate the exciting changes to the Strategic Inclusion Plan on the IS Portal.

There is a Checklist to help services to ensure your IDF Subsidy for an Additional Educator application is complete and accurate, prior to submission to your IP for endorsement.


Current application processing timeframes for IDF Subsidy for an Additional Educator:

The demand for support through the Inclusion Support Program has resulted in a high volume of applications being submitted for IDF Subsidy for an Additional Educator. Applications are being assessed as efficiently as possible, but unfortunately this is currently not within the usual timeframes. Thank you for your patience at this time.

Please go to the Important Information page for further information and updates.


What is the SIP?

All services receiving support through the Inclusion Support Program (ISP) must develop a Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) for their service, in collaboration with the Inclusion Agency (IA).

A SIP is a self-guided inclusion assessment and planning tool for services, that includes strategies for improving and embedding inclusive practice, in line with the National Quality Standards (NQS). The development of a SIP recognises the current inclusive capacity of a service and outlines the strategies and actions educators will implement to increase this capacity to include all children.

The development of a SIP is the first step to accessing support from the ISP including funding through the Inclusion Development Fund (IDF). Each service location will have one SIP, which can incorporate the inclusion planning for all care environments delivered from this site.

The SIP is developed, implemented and evaluated within a 12 month period. A SIP can be updated during this period to reflect any changes, and record the progress made in implementing the strategies and actions outlined.

On this page:

Webinar - IS Portal Enhancements Overview

In June 2024, the Department of Education in conjunction with Services Australia, released a significant enhancement to the IS Portal that was designed to help make developing and managing Strategic Inclusion Plans easier. This webinar provides an overview of these enhancements.

Key resources to assist with developing, implementing and reviewing the SIP

SIP Development

Quick Guide - Getting to know the Care Environment Plan Navigation Menu on the IS Portal

Guide to managing and developing a SIP on the IS Portal - For CBDC and OSHC Services
This guide provides information about the SIP, inclusion planning in Care Environments and step-by-step instructions to support navigating the IS Portal.

Available soon - Guide to developing and managing a SIP on the IS Portal - For Family Day Care

Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) - Fact Sheet
This Fact Sheet provides a guide to developing the SIP, with a particular focus on writing Actions. It also contains information on accessing a printable version of the SIP to share with all educators, and tips for recording Progress Notes and updating the SIP.

SIP Review Resources

Strategic Inclusion Plan Reviews - Overview for CBDC and OSHC Providers

Available soon - Strategic Inclusion Plan Reviews - Overview for Family Day Care

SIP Yearly Review - Fact Sheet
This Fact Sheet outlines the annual process undertaken by services, with support from the Inclusion Professional to review the SIP. It outlines strategies for evaluating the SIP and how to update the SIP as a result of this evaluation. The role of the Inclusion Professional in this process is also explained.

A Comparison: Strategic Inclusion Plan (SIP) Yearly Review and Renewal Application
This is a resource which compares the function and requirements of both processes on one document. Separate Fact Sheets for Renewal Applications and SIP Yearly Reviews are also available and provide more detailed information.

Paper-based SIP Templates and Guides

A suite of paper-based SIP templates and guides are available to support Services and FDC Educators to document their inclusion planning, before transferring it to the IS Portal.

Components of the SIP

Service Profile

The purpose of the Service Profile is to create a service overview that is shared with the IA to help them to understand the inclusion needs and practices of the service.

The Service Profile includes Service Details, Inclusion Practices and a Community Outreach strategy.

Services detail their capacity and capability to include children with additional needs and develop a community outreach strategy, through responding to the following key questions:

  1. How does your service promote learning experiences, interactions and participation to build on children’s strengths and encourage involvement?
  2. How will your service engage with families in the community who do not currently access ECEC services?

Care Environment Plans

A care environment is a specific setting, room or grouping of children within the ECEC service.

A Care Environment Plan can be created for the whole service and for each individual Care Environments or FDC Educators.

A Care Environment Plan includes documenting an Inclusion Profile, identifying Barriers to inclusion, creating Strategies and Actions to address the Barriers and adding Progress Notes as the Actions are implemented.

Educator Profile (FDC Educators only)

The Educator Profile applies only to FDC Educators. The Educator Profile identifies the FDC educator’s capacity and capability to include children with additional needs. It also identifies the FDC educator’s inclusion practices and community outreach strategies, through responding to the following key questions:

  1. How does the educator promote learning experiences, interactions and participation to build on children’s strengths and encourage involvement?
  2. How will the educator engage with families in the community who do not currently access ECEC services?

SIP Reviews

There are three types of SIP Reviews:

Two are completed by the services Inclusion Professional (IP)

  • Service Profile Review
  • Care Environment Review

The third is completed by the service together with their Inclusion Professional (IP)

  • Yearly SIP Review

Access a copy of the Strategic Inclusion Plan Reviews - Overview for CBDC and OSHC Providers for further information.

Available soon - Strategic Inclusion Plan Reviews - Overview for Family Day Care

How to generate a printable SIP

A printable copy of the SIP is called a Report on the IS Portal.

There are two types of Reports that can be generated, Individual Care Environment Plan Reports and a whole Service SIP Report.

The information contained in each Report reflects the inclusion planning that is in progress at the time the Report is generated.

Sharing a copy of these reports amongst the educator team may assist with implementing the identified Strategies and Actions. It also provides an opportunity for progress to be recorded as it occurs, making it easier to then document Progress Notes on the IS Portal.

Care Environment Plan Reports

A copy of the inclusion planning undertaken for an individual Care Environment or FDC Educator, including all current Barriers, Strategies, Actions and Progress Notes can be accessed by generating a Care Environment Plan Report.

For support to generate a Care Environment Plan Report , please refer to pages 59-60 in the Guide to managing and developing a SIP on the IS Portal - For CBDC and OSHC Services.

Service SIP Report

A copy of the inclusion planning undertaken for the whole service, including all current Barriers, Strategies, Actions and Progress Notes for all Care Environments and each FDC Educator associated with the service, can be accessed by generating a Service SIP Report.

For support to generate a Service SIP Report , please refer to page 61 in the Guide to managing and developing a SIP on the IS Portal - For CBDC and OSHC Services.

SIP Requirements when accessing Inclusion Support Program Support Options.

The SIP assists services to plan for inclusion and also forms part of applications to access the Specialist Equipment Library (SEL), through the IA, and funded supports through the Inclusion Development Fund Manager (IDFM). The components of the SIP that are required to be completed vary depending on the service type and type/s of support required.

The tables below outline the SIP components Services and FDC Educators are required to complete when accessing individual support options through the Inclusion Support Program.

Requirements for CBDC and OSHC Services

* The service is required to complete these components of the SIP following the assessment and outcome of the funding application.

** In the case of urgent applications for Bilingual Support and Specialised Training and Advice projects only, a SIP is not required. In such cases it is expected that, after the assessment and outcome of the application, the service will then develop a SIP. Where an urgent application has been approved without a SIP, any subsequent applications will not be considered until the service has developed their SIP.

Requirements for Family Day Care

* In the case of urgent applications for Bilingual Support and Specialised Training and Advice projects only, a SIP is not required. In such cases it is expected that, after the assessment and outcome of the application, the FDC Service or FDC Educator will then then complete these SIP components. Subsequent applications for support will not be considered until they have been addressed.