History
Salamander Child Care Centre was opened in May 1992. Upon completion, the Centre was sponsored by Port Stephens Shire Council with the assistance of an advisory committee. From January 1994 an incorporated Management Committee took over the management of the service. The Management Committee consists of volunteer families with a child enrolled at the Centre and is elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
The operations of Salamander Child Care Centre are regulated and licensed by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) to enrol 80 children per day between the ages of 6 weeks and school age.
Funding
As a community based service, the Centre operates on a “not for profit” basis. Funding of the service comes from several sources:
ACECQA Accreditation
Salamander Child Care Centre is committed to continual quality improvement. We are an accredited service with ACECQA. This is a Commonwealth Government initiative linked to the Child Care Benefit. Quality Improvement Program (QIP) is a process in which Management, staff and families regularly review the practices and procedures of the Centre following standards provided by the ACECQA. On a cyclical basis we participate in a formal process of submitting a QIP to the ACECQA.
This is followed by a visit from an assessor who rates the quality of our service and procedures and practices against the 7 quality areas listed below. A final rating will be provided to the service with a final report following the assessment visit.
QA1
Educational program and practices
QA2
Children’s health and safety
QA3
Physical environment
QA4
Staffing arrangements
QA5
Relationships with children
QA6
Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
QA7
Leadership and service management
We are very proud to carry the rating of ‘Exceeding National Quality Standards’ in 4 of these quality areas with an overall rating of Exceeding National Quality Standards.