FAQ

No. A child does not need a Paediatric referral to access MDECE.

A child may be referred to MDECE by the child’s:

• parents, guardians and/or advocates including Case Worker, Case Manager and/or other Agencies
• Paediatrician
• Allied Health professional including Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist and/or Psychologist
• Preschool, Long Day Care Centre and/or Family Day Care Centre

MDECE educators deliver specialised support and early childhood education programs for:

• babies, toddlers and children who have been assessed with developmental delay and/or disability; and
• all children from birth through their transition to School at 6 years of age, including children who have been assessed with profound, severe, moderate or mild developmental delay and/or disability.

Furthermore, MDECE educators support, guide and strengthen our children’s parents, guardians, families and/or advocates as they are the primary educators of their children.

MDECE educators focus on each child’s development of skills to effectively engage in everyday family and community life such as grocery shopping, swimming lessons, birthday parties, visits to the park and to their siblings’ school assemblies.

MDECE educators provide a safe, non-threatening environment, small groups, the best possible child to educator ratio, individualised interactions and learning experiences for each child with a focus on:

• speech, language and communication skills
• the implementation of alternative augmentative communication (AAC) devices such as visuals, key word signing, social stories, First>Then scripts, Choice Boards, visual task analysis, positive behaviour intervention scripts and adaptive technology
• self-help skills
• cognitive development
• social and emotional development
• fine and gross motor skills
• Individual Learning Plan (ILP) with collaboratively determined realistic, achievable short-term goals and, in turn, medium-term and long-term outcomes
• Transition to School (TTS) Plan

MDECE educators are dedicated and committed to ensuring consistency, collaboration and continuity for our children’s early childhood early intervention educational programs that are underpinned by the MDECE Team around the Child (TAC) model of service.

Yes. MDECE will provide a translator, interpreter and/or transcriber without cost to parents, guardians, families and/or advocates.

MDECE receives funding from the NSW Department of Education to provide early childhood education programs for babies, toddlers and children from birth through their transition to School at 6 years of age who have been assessed with profound, severe, moderate or mild developmental delay and/or disability. Therefore, we are able to minimise our fee for service.

There is no fee for Initial Meetings and Follow Up meetings with the Director.

Yes. MDECE has a comprehensive suite of Policies, Procedures and Risk Assessments that underpin every aspect of the early childhood education programs that are offered to children, their parents, families and/or advocates.

You can request copies of these Policies and Procedures via:

Phone: (02) 4654 8701

Email: eceadmin@materdei.org.au

Click the links for a reference list of Policies and Procedures and Risk Assessments to assist you with your request. 

To view Mater Dei's Respiratory Illness Policy, Click here.