2023 Children’s Week Grant Guidelines

To be eligible for a grant, you must meet all the following criteria:

• the organisation must be a Local Government Council or an eligible not-for-profit (NFP) organisation*
• the organisation must be covered by applicable insurance/s including Public Liability
• the activity must be launched and/or occur within Children’s Week (21 October - 29 October 2023)
• the activity must be offered free of charge to Victorian families with children (0 - 12 years) and open to children from multiple early childhood services and/or schools
• the activity must demonstrate an educational outcome or benefit
• the activity must explore the 2023 Children’s Week theme
• the activity must not be intended to promote commercial interests.

*NFP organisations provide services to the community and do not operate to make a profit for its members (or shareholders, if applicable). A few examples are art centres, neighbourhood associations and sports clubs. Read more about NFPs.

To assess your NFP status we will check the following against the Australian Business Register:

• Type of organisation registered
• Deductible Gift Recipient status or entity type
• Incorporated or auspiced by another incorporated organisation (a letter of support will be required by the auspicing organisation).

Other indicators of your organisation's NFP status or particular community purposes are your organisation's:

• constitution or governing rules
• trust deed (if it is a trust)
• registration or association with other regulatory bodies that require not-for-profit status and/or the particular community purpose for registration.

For more information:

• NFP organisations - visit the Australian Taxation Office.
• Incorporated associations - visit Consumer Affairs Victoria.

Any for-profit or NFP organisation that operates the following is not eligible to apply for a grant. However, they are permitted to work in partnership with eligible organisations. The eligible organisation must submit the application.

The following organisation types are not eligible to apply independently:

• kindergarten
• long day care
• outside school hours care service
• family day care
• playgroup**
• schools
• individual / sole trader.

**Community or Neighbourhood Houses that deliver a playgroup as part of a suite of community services are eligible to apply if attendance to their Children’s Week event includes families and children from across their local community.

Organisations can only apply for one grant. If you are a large organisation, please consider if any other teams within your organisation are also applying for a grant – for example, a Local Government Council that operates multiple libraries.

To receive a grant, organisations must agree to:

• promote their activity through a range of media channels to encourage participation and generate community awareness of Children’s Week
• include the official Children’s Week and State Government logos and tagline “This Children’s Week event is presented by (organisation name) in partnership with the Department of Education” on all promotional materials.

The official Children’s Week Calendar of Activities will be promoted on the Department of Education’s Children’s Week webpage and through the Department’s communication channels with the Victorian early childhood and school sectors.

Privacy and cyber-safety for activities

Every organisation needs to ensure that they are compliant with any relevant laws in delivering their activity, including relevant privacy laws and Child Safe Standards.

If you are planning to run an online activity, you need to consider how the privacy of children attending is protected, such as:

• In the case of online performances that are not interactive, is only the performer’s camera on?
• If the activity is interactive and involves attendees having their device’s camera on, is a parent/carer in attendance alongside their child?
• If attendees are invited to have their device’s camera on, and you intend to record, do you have appropriate written consent from the parent/carer of every attending child?
• If your activity involves receiving and subsequently displaying children’s work online (artwork / stories / photographs etc), has personal or identifying information been removed (such as names, location, faces)?

For more information, visit https://www.esafety.gov.au

Grants will be assessed according to the following criteria (250 - 350 word count suggestion):

1. Describe how your Children’s Week activity will support at least one of the Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes of the Victorian Early Years Learning And Development Framework (VEYLDF). The VEYLDF identifies the following five Outcomes for young children from birth to eight years:
   • Children have a strong sense of identity (identity)
   • Children are connected with and contribute to their world (community)
   • Children have a strong sense of wellbeing (wellbeing)
   • Children are confident and involved learners (learning)
   • Children are effective communicators (communication).
     
2. How will your activity support the 2023 Children's Week theme "Children have the right to relax, play and to take part in activities they enjoy"?

3. How will your organisation promote your Children’s Week activity?

Consider:

• reach of the activity - number of families, children, early childhood services and schools that can participate, number of sessions offered, age groups targeted
• strength of your organisation's communication strategy to promote participation in the activity.

Important reminder: This is a competitive grants process; there is no guarantee that every organisation that meets the eligibility criteria will be funded.

If a grant has been approved, the lead organisation will be notified by email and issued a Common Funding Agreement to complete and return to the Department of Education.

Once the Common Funding Agreement is finalised, the Department of Education will request an invoice from the organisation to process payment.

All suppliers of corporate goods and services to the department are required to provide information including bank details, ABN, trading name, GST registration and company contact to eftsure for independent verification prior to invoices being processed. An invitiation will be emailed to complete this process for your organisaiton once an invoice has been received.

Further information regarding Supplier onboarding and data management with the department can be found here: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/working/Pages/suppliers.aspx

Grant applications must clearly itemise anticipated expenditure. Applicants must use the grant solely for the costs associated with holding their Children’s Week activity, as detailed in their application.

Children’s Week grants may be used for costs such as:

• guest speakers, entertainment, performance or other artists
• learning or craft materials
• children’s prizes and certificates of participation or achievement
• additional administrative costs incurred such as travel or phone.

Organisations that receive a Children’s Week grant and/or who register their activity with the official Children’s Week calendar are required to provide online feedback post-event and, if applicable, an acquittal declaration by 4 December 2023. You will need to include photos of the activity.

Organisations are encouraged to use the full value of their grant on their activity, as any unused funds must be returned to the Department of Education by 30 December 2023.

Applications open Thursday 1 June 2023 and close 11.59pm Sunday 16 July 2023.

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

To apply for a grant, please complete the online application form via https://detearlyyears.smartygrants.com.au/2023ChildrensWeekGrants

Organisations will be notified of the outcome of their grant application in September 2023. Approved applications will be registered with the official Children’s Week calendar of activities.

If you do not receive a grant, you may still have the option to have your activity listed in the calendar of activities.

Information will not be used for any other purpose unless otherwise required by law.

View our privacy policy.