I was awarded a Churchill Fellowship - The Northern Districts Education Centre Churchill Fellowship

The Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in Australia. It is disparate, has multiple risks and is operated separate to schools. I will examine best-practice models which reflect changing social norms and where children are actively engaged; developing and thriving in the OSHC environment. I will explore how to reduce risk and balance the needs of children, community and parents/carers whilst partnering with schools for children’s outcomes. I will visit countries with a high utilisation of OSHC to understand their approach and policy strictures so I can consider how to translate learnings to enable innovation in the Australian operational and policy context.