ECA WebWatch - it's the start of Term 2

It's been a while since the last ECA WebWatch ... which has given us the chance to prepare this bumper issue.

We hope that you and your associates – whether parents, carers, or early childhood practitioners, academics and students – find the links and information in ECA WebWatch both useful and inspiring.

ECA WebWatch is available at www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/eca_webwatch and is a free service for the early childhood field.

This issue's links

Eating

Feeding and sleeping – links from Supporting Best Practice, ECA's free web directory
The 6 links on this page offer informative articles and helpful tip sheets relating to issues ranging from fussy eaters to sleeping concerns.

Healthy fast food
Some 'healthy' fast food options are actually worse than a Big Mac. Choice magazine evaluates the nutritional value of the 10 best, and 10 worst, options from fast food chains' 'healthy' menus.

Human rights

Children of asylum seekers and children of refugees and children in detention
Given the recent moves by Government, Early Childhood Australia wanted to draw the attention of the early childhood field to our Children in Detention position paper. Early Childhood Australia is unequivocal in its call that Government policy should not include the incarceration of children, or separation from their families.

A last resort? – report of the National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
The National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention was established to consider whether Australia's immigration detention laws and its treatment of children in immigration detention comply with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The key findings, a summary, and the complete report are available from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission website.

Leadership

Complex challenges and the new leadership: Learning to lead (again)
'The landscape of leadership is changing. Leading is more complex and requires new approaches, new mindsets and new skills.' The Leading Effectively e-newsletter revisits the question of what makes a good leader, and concludes that 'leadership skills' are changing.

The role of early childhood systems in promoting cultural competence (PDF)
This is 30 pages, but is a very useful document. This series of reports from the US National Center for Infant and Early Childhood Health Policy looks at the impact of early years on forming cultural attitudes and perspectives in later years.

Early Childhood Australia advocacy

In this section of ECA WebWatch we'd like to highlight some of the advocacy work Early Childhood Australia has been involved in this year.

A big thank you to our members; your support enables us to advocate in the best interests of young children, parents and carers, and the early childhood field.
Find out more about membership of Early Childhood Australia.

A sample of Early Childhood Australia's advocacy work in 2006:

Committee participation

Chaired, auspiced, organised and participated in the National Children's Services Forum meeting and Lobby Day.

Attended the following FaCS reference group meetings:

• the childcare vacancies hotline
• inclusion support implementation.

Is represented on:

• Australian Council for Children and Parenting
• The national council of the Australian College of Educators
• The National Advisory Group for Policy Briefs of the Centre for Community Child Health
• Raising Children Network steering committee for the parent information website.

Early childhood alliances

Met with:

• Australian Primary Principals Association
• National Family Day Care Council of Australia
• National Association of Community Based Children's Services
• Childcare Associations Australia
• National Inhome Care Association.

Media exposure

A selection of some of the media comment Early Childhood Australia has been involved in so far this year:

• appeared on Prime's Sunrise to talk about moving house with teens and young families, and the transition to school.
• spoke with ABC Radio and ABC News about the need for a 'childcare overhaul', and the Government's compulsory preschool proposal
• spoke with AAP and other press media about various childcare and parenting issues
• appeared on SBS's Insight debate on 'Minding the Kids'.

Early Childhood Australia books

Everyday learning about healthy bodies is a great starting point for encouraging children to develop sound habits that will ensure their future wellbeing. The emphasis on healthy eating and lots of physical activity provides a simple and effective way for all carers of babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Young children as active learners is written to stimulate reflection upon how children learn, and is a useful tool for early childhood practitioners to enhance the learning potential of the children in their care while extending their own creativity.

All books are quality assured by Early Childhood Australia.

Letus know what you think! We welcome any suggestions or commentsyou have: webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au

Past issues of ECA WebWatch are available on the EarlyChildhood Australia website.

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ECAWebWatch - April 2006. Early ChildhoodAustralia.