Providing.....
Advocacy for children, for families and for communities
Empowerment through education and training
Protection through responsive and innovative support services
High Quality Childrens services that value and respect the family as the centre of the child's life and development.
Welcome
The Kath Dickson Family Centre is dedicated to the care and education of children. Our founder, Miss Dickson was a strong and consistent advocate for children throughout her career as a pioneer educator. During the last 30 years we have established a reputation as ‘leaders of excellence’ in the field of young children, child care, family support and child care training for tomorrow’s leaders. We are a not-for-profit community based organisation that continues to grow and expand to meet the needs of children, families and communities.
KATH DICKSON INSTITUTE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES - (KDIECS) |
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The Kath Dickson Institute of Early Childhood Studies is a registered training organisation delivering competency based training to child-care students at all levels. Childcare training for service types - Nannies, Family Day Care, Long Day Care, Out of School Hours Care. Please click here for a summary of AQTF Audit information. |
KATH DICKSON INSTITUTE |
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The Kath Dickson Institute has emerged with the resurrection of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and celebrates the addition of Certificate III in Aged Care. For more information about either of these courses please visit the Kath Dickson Institute page on this website, or call 1300 304 194 READ MORE... |
FAMILY DAY CARE - (FDC) |
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Kath Dickson Family Day care is a professional home-based service operating in Toowoomba and surrounding districts for over 30 years. Interested in a career in childcare? Would you like to stay at home and care for your own children and earn an income? Then ask us about becoming a Home-Based Educator. |
KATH DICKSON OCCASIONAL CARE CENTRE |
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Do you require care for just a couple of hours for that doctor’s appointment or maybe the hairdressers? Kath Dickson Occasional Care can help, because you will not have to pay for a whole’s day care-you will only have to pay for care on an hourly basis or occasionally as you use care. |
KATH DICKSON TOY LIBRARY |
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Tired of paying the high costs for toys and resources for your children only to find that they have quickly grown out of them? For a small membership fee you can borrow developmentally appropriate toys and resources from our extensive toy library for a fraction of the cost. The library also hosts activity mornings twice a week and these groups are free for members or a gold coin donation per child for non- members. Not sure how to keep your school age children entertained over the school holiday periods? Join our vacation care social group. Keep the children busy and meet other families within our community. |
REMOTE AREA ADVISORY SERVICE |
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Over the past decade we have witnessed a rising interest in child care issues and a pressing demand for better care for our young children. The key to better care focuses on professional development for all caregivers. Recent research indicates that high quality care leads to positive outcomes for children, and that caregiver education and training are keys to providing quality care. |
RAIN TREE PROJECT |
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The Resilient Children in drought affected communities in the Darling Downs project will boost family and community protective factors that promote resilience. Strategies aim to ensure that children experience supportive and enriching early life experiences. Strategies also build and maintain social connectedness.
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BICULTURAL SUPPORT SERVICES |
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Assisting with the co-ordination of the Bicultural Support Service, Kath Dickson helps in providing this free service to assist children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Kath Dickson help co-ordinate a pool of Cultural Support Workers who offer limited, practical support to childcare services across the Darling Downs. Cultural Support Workers are people who provide cultural knowledge and understanding as well as language support when required that will facilitate effective linking with the family. In assisting cultural diverse children, we also increase knowledge of cultural with the child’s peers and care givers and make for a cultural rich environment for all. For more information on this, please contact Samantha Miller at the Kath Dickson Office. |
The Not-For-Profit Sector in TImes of Crisis
Talk about a baptism of fire (well, it was actually water – lots of it!). No sooner had I slipped into the CEO’s chair ready to start a fresh New Year, I heard a staff member shout, “We’re flooding down here!” It was Monday 10th January 2011 and I was sitting in my second floor office listening to the rain lash (with unusual ferocity) against our gorgeous old building. My first reaction was to assume that our heritage roof and window fittings just couldn’t take any more of the punishment being inflicted upon them – not for a moment did I expect to see water pouring in from the street through closed doors and solid panes of glass.
