PSFO Support Options for Children

Early Childhood professionals can request inclusion support for children with additional needs who attend a State-funded 3 or 4-year-old Kindergarten program or Early Start Kindergarten.

Parents/Guardians and other health care professionals with parental/guardian consent must request support in collaboration with the child’s educator.

Options for support

There are six support options available:

Step 1.Individual Child – funded 3-year-old kindergarten

PSFOs can support three-year-old children attending a State-funded three-year-old Kindergarten program with parental/guardian consent.

Step 2.Individual Child – funded 4-year-old kindergarten

PSFOs can support four-year-old children attending a State-funded four-year-old Kindergarten program with parental/guardian consent.

Step 3.Individual Child – Early Start Kindergarten

PSFO’s can support Early Start Kindergarten children attending a State-funded four-year-old kindergarten program with parental/guardian consent.

Step 4.Support with KIS applications

PSFO’s can support Early Childhood Teachers in relation to the Kindergarten Inclusion support process with parental/guardian consent.

Step 5.Individual Child – Children attending a funded 3 or 4-year-old kindergarten program the following year:

During Term 4 of the year prior to attendance of both three-year-old and four-year-old funded kindergarten programs, Preschool Field Officers can support the transition of children presenting with developmental concerns into kindergarten to enhance an Early Childhood Teachers’ capacity to provide for their access, inclusion, and meaningful participation.

Step 6.General advice without completing a request for service

Early Childhood Teachers can call or email the PSFO service for guidance and information without completing a request for support form. We can provide phone support to discuss concerns, guide with referral pathway options, strategies for inclusion, how to approach parents, etc.

Support can be provided by contacting the team via our email PSFOTeam@hume.vic.gov.au.

Request support

Early Childhood Educators need to complete the following steps to request support for an individual child:

Step 1.Discuss your concerns with the family.

Please use an interpreter to have the conversations with families who do not have English as their primary language.

Early childhood services can book an interpreter through Language Loop portal or calling 9280 1955.

Early Childhood Teachers or other professionals must discuss their reasons for requesting PSFO support with the child’s parent/guardian prior to submitting the form.

Step 2.Complete the request for support form with the family.

Complete the request for support referral form with the family.

Please complete the form in consultation with the family, there are sections for you both to complete.

PSFO Program Referral Form

Alternatively a printable form can be downloaded here PSFO Referral Form(DOCX, 58KB). Please email this completed form to our service at PSFOTeam@hume.vic.gov.au.