Your guide to the latest early childhood news!

Welcome to this edition of ECA WebWatch. This fortnight we are focusing on the many changes happening on the policy front of early childhood education.

In this issue:

• New survey of children's early home learning environment
• Indigenous literacy project
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day 2009

Plus:

• ECA calendar
• Quality-assured early childhood resources
• ECA GreenWatch

ECA WebWatch feature item

Early childhood policy reforms
The National Early Childhood Development Strategy aims to improve the health, safety, early learning and wellbeing of Australia's children, and spells out the shared vision of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) — that by 2020 all children have the best possible start in life, to create a better future for themselves and for the nation.

The Early Years Learning Framework is a national curriculum framework to guide early childhood educators in the delivery of quality early childhood education. It marks the start of the rollout of the Australian Government's quality reform agenda.

COAG has released a Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) that canvasses a number of regulatory options for improving the quality and regulation of early childhood education and care providers, and a new quality rating system.

This Consultation RIS sets out the reasons why we need to strengthen the quality of early childhood education and care in Australia, explains the changes being considered, and sets out the consultation process. It also assesses the relative costs and benefits of each of the options.

Comments are invited from all interested people on the draft proposals contained in the Consultation RIS. Feedback provided will be taken into consideration in developing a final proposal for decision by COAG later this year.

To view the RIS, visit the DEEWR website.

New survey of children's home learning environment

Parenting Research Centre begin the 'Early Home Learning Environment' project
The 'Early Home Learning Environment' project aims to establish an understanding of what parents know about home factors, child development, and the barriers they face on a daily basis. The Parenting Research Centre will use the results of the survey to develop a range of materials and resources that support parents' knowledge of the early home learning environment.

Study to ensure best investment in early childhood education for Australia's children

The University of Melbourne receives grant for new early childhood study
Ensuring children are offered the best possible start to formal learning will be the result of a new study into the quality of early childhood education and care in Australia. The five-year project will draw on expertise from education experts in Australia, Canada and the UK, along with the Victorian and Queensland Governments.

The University of Melbourne will be the lead partner in the $16.8 million study into how Australia can make the most of the $3.03 billion it invests annually in early childhood education and care.

Developing empathy and social skills

Cooperation and sharing
Articles on how listening to young children and acknowledging their feelings builds cooperation between them, their families and their peers.

Feelings and empathy
The care a child receives is the key to their development as caring and empathic individuals.

Visit ECA's Supporting Best Practice Link Directory – an outstanding resource for early childhood professionals, parents, other caregivers and early childhood knowledge brokers.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day 2009

Support Children's Day on or around 4 August 2009
The theme for 2009 is Good Child Protection – We do it better together.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day is an opportunity for families, community and service providers to come together socially to share, network, learn, recognise and build upon the strengths of family and community partnerships.

To get some ideas for activities, register your event or order activity kits, visit the SNAICC website.

Advanced Teaching Standards consultation forums

ECA state and territory branches will be holding a series of consultation forums on the development of the Advanced Teaching Standards for early childhood. For more information, and dates of forums in other states, see the Advanced Teaching Standards Forums on the Early Childhood Australia website.

Draft National Professional Standards For Advanced Early Childhood Teaching (3–8 years)

A copy of the Draft National Professional Standards For Advanced Early Childhood Teaching (3–8 years) is available on the website.

To provide feedback, fill out the draft advanced teaching standards survey.

Please complete the survey and return by Friday 31 July 2009 to Early Childhood Australia:

Fax: 02 6242 1818
Email: bcowling@earlychildhood.org.au
Mail: Early Childhood Australia
        Reply Paid 7105
        Watson ACT 2602

ECA GreenWatch

Making the environmental grade: The benefits of going green in the classroom
This article from Canada reflects on the importance of teaching and being 'green' in the classroom.

Indigenous literacy project – Free books to communities

Books for remote and isolated Indigenous communities
The ILP is a partnership between The Fred Hollows Foundation, Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) and the Australian Publishers Association (APA). Their aim is to get books into remote and isolated Indigenous communities across Australia. Working closely with the ABA and the APA, The Fred Hollows Foundation purchases and supplies books to remote communities where the foundation operates.

Quality-assured early childhood resources

All of ECA's publications are peer-reviewed by early childhood experts, so you can be assured that all our publications are of the highest quality, and relevant to you and your work.

Nurturing the spiritual child: Compassion, connection and a sense of self
Presents a perspective of what spirituality for children might represent in early childhood settings. This book offers practical ways to encourage a sense of spirituality.

Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, Vol. 34 No. 2
In the latest issue of AJEC the focus is on empowering the early childhood field, those who work within it and those who interact with it.

ECA Calendar

Responding to the Early Years Agenda: System change at a community level
15 July 2009
Limelight Room
Etihad Stadium
Melbourne

This seminar will provide an overview of the challenges and achievements to-date in delivering early childhood systems' change through policy and practice direction, in both the UK and Victoria.

Visit Early Childhood Australia's online calendar – it's the easy way to keep track of important events, conferences and dates.

Help us expand the ECA WebWatch community
Please pass this e-newsletter service on to friends and colleagues with this link to subscribe: www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/mail

Early Childhood Australia's strength is determined by the strength of its members and supporters. It is only through your support that we can advocate for and on behalf of the sector. As a reader of ECA WebWatch you can make a big difference to the sector. By forwarding this newsletter to colleagues and inviting them to subscribe, you extend our advocacy chain – increasing our ability to communicate and work with the sector.

Let us know what you think ...
We welcome any suggestions or comments you have: webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au.

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

Subscribing
If you have received this copy of ECA WebWatch from a friend and wish to subscribe yourself, simply send a blank email to subscribe@earlychildhood.org.au.
Unsubscribing
If you do not wish to receive ECA WebWatch, send a blank email to unsubscribe@earlychildhood.org.au from the email address it was sent to.
Change of address
Please send an email to webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au, clearly stating your old email address as well as your new address.

(Please remember to add webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au to your safe senders list to ensure that you receive your copy of ECA WebWatch promptly.)

ECA WebWatch – Issue 76, July 2009. © Early Childhood Australia.