Deb Ruiz-Dove
Coordinator Family & Children's Services
Email Deb
or phone 9433 3190 or 0438 009 623 Monday to Friday
- Manage the maternal and child health and immunisation contracts.
- Monitor the implementation of the Municipal Early Years Plan.
- Facilitate and support regular meetings of the Nillumbik Alliance for Children and Families.
- Monitor the budget requirements for Family & Children's Services to ensure services are delivered within target.
- Monitor staff performance and reviews across Family & Children's Services.
- Develop and monitor an annual Family & Children's Services business plan that addresses strategic direction.
Anne Brooks
Child Care Services Resource Officer
Email Anne or phone 9433 3145 Monday to Friday
Anne has a Diploma of Community Services (Children's Services), a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment and more than 22 years experience working within the early childhood field. Some of Anne’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Support and provide information to child care services to meet the needs of all children and ensure access and equity for all abilities.
- Resource child care services to ensure they have access to appropriate and adequate resources for inclusive, play-based programming that meets individual children’s needs.
- Liaise with child care staff and committees of management to provide support and training.
- Respond to requests from case workers from early intervention services or parents looking for care options, support or information on inclusion.
- Participate in the regional Inclusion support Facilitators networks.
Brian Gallacher
Administration Support Officer
Email
Brian or phone 9433 3141 Monday to Friday
Brian has extensive experience in a range of administrative positions and many years experience working within local government. Some of Brian’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Process birth notifications and maintain the Council’s birth register.
- Process utility payments for Council owned buildings that Family Services are responsible for, including preschool, maternal and child health and child care.
- Provide program support and assistance to the Family & Children's Service Unit.
Belinda Denison
Family Day Care Program Development Officer
Email Belinda or phone 9433 3133 Wednesdays and Fridays
Belinda has a Diploma of Children's Services and Certificate in Advanced Facilitation. Belinda has over 14 years experience in out of hours school care, long day care, family day care and playgroup facilitation. Some of Belinda’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Ensure the provision of Nillumbik Family Day Care meets all relevant standards of quality in accordance with National Standards, the Quality Assurance System and Nillumbik Shire Council Policies and Procedures.
- Identify marketing opportunities and implement strategies to promote Family Day Care within the local community, including the recruitment of new carers.
- Ensure that Family Day Care is responsive to the changing needs of the community and reflects current research and philosophies within the early years sector.
- Conduct annual surveys of carers and families participating in the scheme to provide opportunities for feedback and continuous improvement.
- Plan and facilitate bi-monthly carer meetings and in-service training.
- Conduct annual Licence Agreement renewals for all carers registered with the Nillumbik Family Day Care scheme.
- Participate in the regional Family Day Care Coordinator networks.
Carolyn Gray
Family Day Care Administration Support Officer
Email Carolyn or phone 9433 3146 Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays (until the end of June 2010).
Carolyn has a Diploma of Children's Services. She has over 12 years experience in occasional care with Living and Learning Nillumbik and Nillumbik Family Day Care. Carolyn also has experience in administration. Some of Carolyn’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Provide administration support to the Nillumbik Family Day Care scheme.
- Respond to telephone and email requests from parents.
- Coordinate the placement of children into care with a suitable carer.
- Process payments for carers licensed with Nillumbik Family Day Care to ensure fortnightly Child Care Benefit payments are made to carers.
- Submit relevant reports to government departments to comply with funding requirements.
- Participate in the regional Family Day Care Administrators networks.
Jo Rudge
Family Day Care Resource Officer
Email Jo or phone 9433 3158 Tuesday to Thursday
Jo has a Diploma of Children's Services, a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment and has over 22 years experience at Living & Learning Nillumbik, coordination of playhouses, children's services resource and development and family day care. Some of Jo’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Support and resource carers in the Nillumbik Family Day Care scheme to ensure carers are equipped with appropriate and adequate resources for inclusive, play-based programming that meets individual children’s needs.
- Conduct monthly home visits to carers licensed with Nillumbik Family Day Care to monitor the progress and development of children in care.
- Monitor carer compliance of Children’s Services Regulations 2009, National Standards, the Quality Assurance System and Nillumbik Shire Council Policies and Procedures.
- Conduct annual performance reviews and home safety checks for all carers licensed with Nillumbik Family Day Care to assess performance and safety.
- Conduct orientation for new carers to ensure appropriate induction into the Nillumbik Family Day Care scheme.
- Participate in the regional Family Day Care Field Officer networks.
Kerrie Bernhard
Contracts and Communications Program Development Officer
Email Kerrie or phone 9433 3149 Monday to Friday
Kerrie is completing a Diploma of Community Welfare and has 13 years experience working within the Community Services section of Council. Some of Kerrie’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Provide support, monitor payments and manage statistics for the maternal and child health and immunisation contracts.
- Initiate, coordinate and assist the Family & Children's Services Unit to plan and promote information to the community and service providers.
- Manage and resource the Family & Children's Services website, including the email distribution group and website statistics.
- Assist with the organisation of key activities and events across Family & Children's Services.
Leigh Brickwood
Community Facilities Resource Officer
Email
Leigh or phone 9433 3117 Wednesdays and Fridays
Leigh has extensive experience in a range of administrative positions prior to joining Council and has also spent a number of years working on committees of management at her children's preschool. Some of Leigh’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Administer and process building maintenance requests for Council owned buildings that Family & Children's Services are responsible for, including preschool, maternal and child health and child care.
- Support services in Council owned buildings that Family & Children's Services are responsible for, with the maintenance log book system and requirements for building alterations.
- Monitor facility audits and capital works progress for projects within the Family & Children's Services Unit.
Narelle Hart
Family Support and Participation Program Development Officer
Email
Narelle or phone 9433 3135 Monday to Thursday.
Narelle has a Diploma of Social Sciences (Children's Services) and over 16 years experience in working with children and families. Some of Narelle’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Develop, coordinate and monitor supported playgroups for fathers, families affected by bushfire and mums experiencing post natal depression.
- Develop, coordinate and monitor a range of family support services for families experiencing short-term crisis
- Develop, coordinate and monitor programs and groups that encourage mums and dads to network.
- Facilitate the Nillumbik Best Start Partnership; a group of professionals representing a range of early years services who develop programs and conduct research to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for children.
- Submit reports to government agencies to comply with funding requirements.
Rachel Birrell
Preschool Services Resource Officer
Email Rachel or phone 9433 3351 Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
Rachel has a Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies and has worked locally as a preschool teacher for the past 13 years. She has also spent some years working on committees of management at her children's preschool. Some of Rachel’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Liaise with preschool teachers and committees of management to provide support and training.
- Support preschools to implement the Universal Access Policy.
- Resource and maintain the Nillumbik Early Years Local Network meetings.
- Assist in the coordination and organisation of key events, such as Children’s Week and Preschool Open Day.
- Coordinate the administration of the preschool central enrolment system.
Sherryn Prinzi
Service Integration and Coordination Program Development
Officer
Email Sherryn or phone 9433 3118 Tuesdays and Thursdays
Sherryn has a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood) and a Bachelor of Education and has 18 years of teaching experience. She currently works as a three year old teacher at a local preschool and has also spent some years working on committees of management at her children's preschool. Some of Sherryn’s key areas of responsibility include:
- Work with current co-located services to facilitate cooperative working relationships that provide delivery of integrated services that respond to the needs of families accessing services.
- Develop, maintain and monitor leases and licenses for all Family & Children's Services facilities.
- Coordinate an annual audit of all children services facilities within the Shire to ensure compliance with the Children’s Services Regulations 2009.
- Submit relevant reports to government departments to comply with funding requirements.
- Participate in relevant early years regional networks, including Early Childhood Coordinators and Out of School Hours networks.