Early Years Management
Shine Bright EYM is a not for profit community based organisation that operates with the needs of children and families as its highest priority. We currently manage over 40 kindergartens in both large and small rural towns across Central and Northern Victoria.
Shine Bright EYM had its beginnings in the 1980’s when a group of parents formed the Bendigo and District Kindergarten Parents Association (BDKPA) to provide a central enrolment service to Bendigo Families. The BDKPA was run by volunteers until 2004 when it successfully applied to become a cluster manager and was renamed Loddon Mallee Preschool Association (LMPA).
LMPA then employed paid staff members and expanded it’s services to the kindergartens who joined the cluster while continuing to provide central enrolment services to all kindergartens in Bendigo and Swan Hill. LMPA assumed much of the responsibilities and management previously carried out by voluntary parent committee. LMPA was renamed Shine Bright EYM in 2018 and all the member kindergartens became Shine Bright to better reflect the belonging to one organisation all working together.
The purpose of a Kindergarten Cluster Manager (KCM) was to:
- Remove the administrative and management burden on volunteer parent committees
- Strengthen the delivery of community-based kindergarten programs
- Improve the sustainability of kindergarten services for the community in the long term
- Provide kindergarten staff with professional and consistent employment arrangements
Today the name of the KCM has changed to Early Years Management (EYM) to better reflect the broader role KCM organisations fulfil in delivering additional early years services. The role of an Early Years Manager also includes the support of:
- Key policy directions such as the integration of early childhood education and care
- Strong local service networks that include other early childhood services and schools
- Effective local planning
- Partnerships with families, the community and all levels of government
Shine Bright EYM is overseen by a Board of Management Directors who serve on a volunteer basis. The Board is made up of carefully selected community members who bring key skills to support Shine Bright EYM such as finance, strategic planning, early childhood education and information technology knowledge. Each Board member is required to operate in Shine Bright EYM’s best interests, holding the core values and purpose, vision and mission statements as heartfelt aims.
Shine Bright EYM Strategic Direction
OUR VISION
To ensure every child in our care reaches their unique potential through exceptional education and care that is synonymous with being a leader in the Victorian early years sector.
OUR MISSION
To nurture meaningful connections for children by creating safe and joyful spaces where children are guided by passionate, capable and well supported educators.
OUR PURPOSE
To make every moment matter.
OUR STRATEGIC APPROACH
At Shine Bright we have identified a range of key goals that we are aiming to achieve during the period of our strategic plan, organised under five pillars.
Pillar 1: Education of Children (Learning and Development)
Pillar 2: Care and Wellbeing of Children (Belonging and Wellbeing)
Pillar 3: Wellbeing and Professional Growth of Staff (workplace culture, staff capacity and opportunities)
Pillar 4: Daily Operations and Systems Capability (Facilities, assets, systems, IT, processes, finance)
Pillar 5: Strategy, Leadership and Impact (partnerships, sector impact, growth, risk, governance, advocacy)
Shine Bright EYM Key Responsibilities
As the manager of early childhood services, Shine Bright EYM accepts legal responsibility for:
- Service Approvals and regulatory compliance
- Policy development and implementation
- Daily support to all staff
- Financial management
- Human resource management
- Building leases and maintenance
Shine Bright EYM Performance
To ensure Shine Bright EYM is accountable to the early childhood community, measures of performance are undertaken on a regular basis as follows:
Mandatory evaluation
- External annual financial audit report
- External Financial accountability to Department of Education and Training (DET) as primary funding body
- Quality audits via DET of Shine Bright EYM and its services (Assessment and Rating)
- Internal and external user satisfaction surveys conducted annually with families
Voluntary evaluation
- Internal Stakeholders surveys conducted annually with staff
- Internal Organisational Climate surveys conducted with Shine Bright EYM staff
Further Information
For more information about Shine Bright EYM, or to find out how your kindergarten can join Shine Bright EYM, contact Shine Bright
Shine Bright is a Registered Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission