Bicultural Support is time limited, collaborative support, designed to assist children's services professionals to support the inclusion of child/ren from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds into care. The support includes access to a pool of Bicultural Support Workers who liaise with service staff to provide advice and information on culture and cultural practices.

Managing this pool for the ACT PSC is the YWCA of Canberra. The YWCA has a wealth of experience working with children's services and people from diverse cultural communities. For some time the YWCA of Canberra has delivered the Introduction to Child Care with a Focus on Cultural Diversity course for individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds wishing to gain experience and skills in children's services.

Bicultural Support aims to:

• Build children's services capacity to develop an understanding of diverse cultures and inclusive practices.
• Support communication between children's services professionals, children and their families.
• Support children's services professionals to explore diverse cultures through language, stories, music, play, food and dance.

This process is supported by an Inclusion Support Facilitator who provides advice and mentoring on inclusive environments, resources and practices.

Who is eligible for Bicultural support?

Bicultural support is available free of charge to Australian Government Approved Child Care Services (those in receipt of Child Care Benefit) such as

• Private and Community Based Long Day Care Centres
• Family Day Care Services
• In-Home Care Services
• Outside School Hours Care Services including Vacation Care
• Occasional Care Services

Non-eligible services can access a range of Bicultural Support on a fee for service basis.