Early childhood news from across the web!

Welcome to the second issue of ECA WebWatch for 2010. This fortnight, we are asking you to reflect on this newsletter and give us some feedback on how we are doing, or what you would like to see in the newsletter in the future.

Also in this issue:

• Recognising stress in children
• Children's hospital at Westmead updated fact sheets
• Bullying prevention

Plus:

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

ECA WebWatch feature item

If we could do one thing for you what would it be?

Early Childhood Australia is seeking your feedback about the future of ECA WebWatch. We need to hear from you, our subscribers. Please let us know what you would like to see in future issues of the newsletter. No idea is too serious or too trivial – let us know by sending your thoughts to webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au with the subject line 'One idea about Webwatch'. We really value your input and will publish your thoughts in a couple of weeks.

Thanks
Pam Cahir
CEO, Early Childhood Australia

Your ECA conference update

The call for papers for the Early Childhood Australia conference is now open. It will close 31 March 2010. To make your submission, go to www.amlink.com.au/secure/html/ECA10abs.htm

Find out more information about the call for papers.

Also, keep an eye out in your letterbox for the Registration brochure, which we recently mailed out. Get in quick to get your early bird discount! You can find more information, including registration costs, on the ECA Conference website.

Children’s hospital at Westmead fact sheets

New and updated information!
The Children's Hospital at Westmead releases a series of fact sheets aimed at educating parents about health and safety issues for their children. The fact sheets are updated and added to as new information becomes available. Recently updated fact sheets include flat feet, healing bone fractures, croup, bonchiolitis, and more.

Recognising when children are stressed or under pressure

Help children cope
All children feel stressed from time to time, but each will show it in a different way. This article will help you recognise the sources of childhood stress, and the signs children can display to show you they are under pressure and feeling stressed. It also offers some advice on how you can help children cope with these feelings.

'National Standards for Out of Home Care' consultation

SNAICC calls on you to contribute your thoughts
The Australian Government is now undertaking a consultation seeking your thoughts on how to make sure that children in out of home care receive the same opportunities to develop and become healthy children like those children not living in out of home care.

According to Child Protection Australia 2008-09, there were 10,512 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care at 30 June 2009. This represented a placement rate of 44.8 per 1,000 children, compared to the 4.9 per 1,000 non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

You can read more or download a copy of the consultation paper on the Out of Home Care Standards website.

Social and emotional learning and bullying prevention

Foster a positive climate in your school or centre
This downloadable pdf will help you develop a social and emotional learning framework that can work towards creating a positive environment and reducing instances of bullying.

'When schools are able to scaffold bullying prevention onto a larger, more comprehensive framework for prevention and positive youth development, they strengthen their prevention efforts while also addressing some of the underlying contributing social, emotional, and environmental factors that can lead to bullying. A social and emotional learning (SEL) framework can serve just this purpose.'

Be sun smart this summer!

Protect children from skin damage
The Parenting and Child Health website has lots of handy tips for keeping children protected from the sun during these hot months, and advice and information so you can educate yourself on sun protection.

Don’t forget to slip, slop, slap this summer!

ECA Greenwatch

2010 – Year of Biodiversity
The United Nations has declared 2010 to be The International Year of Biodiversity. It celebrates life on earth and the value of biodiversity for our lives. Visit the website to find resources and information, the 'species of the day', and how you can get involved!

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.

Food & Health in early childhood
Food contributes to health in terms of nutrition, but it also contributes in a real way to children's emotional and sociocultural experience, and is linked to their developing sense of well-being and identity.

Identifying special needs in the early years
Offers strategies to identify and accommodate children's individual needs so you can provide the best care and support for the children you work with.

ECA calendar

Sustainable Models & Integrated practice in Victorian children's centres
8 February 2010

This workshop, presented by the Centre for Community Child Health, will feature a keynote speech by Dr Margy Whalley, Director of Research, Development and Training Base at Pen Green, UK.

International Mother Language Day 2010
21 February 2010
World-wide

Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. International Mother Language Day promotes linguistic and cultural diversity.

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.

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ECA WebWatch – Issue 86, February 2010. © Early Childhood Australia.

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