National Outside School Hours Services Alliance
Advocacy
​​​Delegates for each State and Territory are appointed by their State/Territory Association. Each State and Territory can appoint a maximum of 2 delegates, however they hold only one vote per State/Territory.
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Role of Delegate
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To represent the interests of the OSHC sector at a National level on behalf of their State/ territory Association. The delegate is not the member of NOSHSA, the State/ Territory association is the member.
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To provide a timely response to emails and issues arising for NOSHSA or to arrange consultation on the issue using the Network email links to members.
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The delegate is responsible for reflecting the diversity of views across states and territories or the consensus of opinion when representing NOSHSA.​
The position is voluntary and the delegates must commit to reading and commenting on NOSHSA emails or relevant documents and maintaining a working knowledge of issues affecting the sector, particularly in their own State or territory.
Criteria for selection of a delegate is based on the delegate’s ability to undertake represent their Association or CoP views at a National level, to have a broad understanding of national and state issues for the sector, a working knowledge of an respect for all Australian Children’s Services, an understanding of the political process, excellent presentation skills (both verbal and written) and experience in lobbying through participation in delegations and media. There should also be no possible perceived conflict of interest with the role of delegate and other roles the individual performs in their work or private life.​
Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) has reached a critical inflection point in Australia’s education and care landscape. With increasing numbers of children spending significant portions of their childhood in OSHC settings – 1 in 4 primary school children averaging up to 16 hours per week across up to 50 weeks annually—the sector’s role extends far beyond supervision to encompass vital wellbeing support, social development, and experiential learning during the crucial primary school years.
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Recent policy reforms, particularly the lifting of the activity test to provide 3 days or 72 hours of Child Care Subsidy (CCS) for all eligible families, have expanded access to OSHC for vulnerable children who stand to benefit most from consistent, high-quality care environments. However, this expansion of access has occurred without commensurate investment in the workforce and infrastructure required to deliver the quality outcomes children deserve.
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NOSHSA has developed an Advocacy Roadmap which comprises four strategic priorities across three interconnected domains. Now available to download.