Early Childhood news delivered straight to you!
Welcome to the latest issue of the award winning ECA WebWatch. Our feature item this week is our response to the all-important budget just announced by the Federal Government. Specifically, we focus on the money allocated for early childhood services and programs.
Also in this issue:
- Your ECA Conference update
- New children’s program on NITV
- Latest issue of Foundations magazine released
Plus:
- ECA calendar
- Quality-assured early childhood resources
- ECA Greenwatch
ECA WebWatch feature item
Early Childhood Australia's response to the Federal Budget
Funding in the Federal Budget of $59.4 million for budget based early childhood services has been long overdue and would go towards helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. However, opportunities to support people working in childcare services to upgrade their qualifications have been missed.
Early Childhood Australia is looking forward to the recommendations which will come out of the productivity commission's study into the education and training workforce, due out next year.
Partnerships with professionals for the benefit of children
New issue of Early Years Exchange now available
The Early Years Exchange (EYE) is a series of online publications developed to familiarise early childhood professionals with the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. EYE is intended for all Victorian EC professionals who works with children from birth to age eight.
The Victorian Framework and the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia are companion documents that complement each other and explore the same five learning outcomes for children.
The Victorian Framework was released in November 2009 for implementation in early years services and schools in 2010.
Your ECA Conference update
The ECA National Conference will see international and Australian speakers and presenters addressing a range of topics such as advocacy, curriculum and assessment, reflective learning, play, coherence, sustainability and equity and inclusivity. Speakers will focus on these knowing that the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is now being implemented around Australia.
In addition, Early Childhood Australia will provide sessions specifically focusing on the EYLF. These four sessions (two single sessions and one double session, held over three days) will focus on supporting early childhood educators to implement the EYLF.
These sessions will provide the chance to look at opportunities and challenges as educators implement the first EYLF. These sessions will be facilitated by people involved in the development of the EYLF and practitioners already working with the Framework.
Register for the conference online and you could win a $500 ECA book voucher!
Simply use our online registration form at www.ecaconference.com.au to register and you could be in the running to win this fantastic prize. To view our catalogue visit www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/shop.
Celebrate your family during National Families Week!
'The best start: Supporting happy, healthy childhoods'
National Families Week is held every year, and this year it will be celebrated 15–21 May 2010. The central aim of National Families Week 2010 is to celebrate the vital role that families play and particularly to highlight the importance of giving every child a happy and healthy childhood.
National Families Week 2010 will coincide with the United Nations International Day of Families on 15 May, which has a theme of 'The impact of migration on families around the world'.
CeeCees awards closing date extended!
Nominations now open until 19 May 2010
The Community Child Care Co-operative and Educational Experience are once again presenting the CeeCees Awards.
The CeeCees recognise the hard work, professionalism and commitment of those who work in the community owned, centre based, early childhood sector in NSW. Specifically, individuals and committees must be a community based preschool, mobile, long day care, occasional care or Multifunctional Aboriginal Children’s service.
New issue of Foundations magazine released – Building positive relationships
Download your copy now!
Foundations magazine offers professional development in the form of articles, theory, practical ideas and advice from practitioners. It is developed by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health and distributed to children's services staff in the Hunter, Mudgee and Taree areas. You can download a free copy from the website.
The latest issue focuses on building positive relationships and also includes an article on Autism Spectrum Disorder.
New children’s program on National Indigenous Television
Celebrate and educate children about Noongar culture and language
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has recently launched a new children's program, Waabiny Time, which aims to help children learn more about the Noongar language and culture. It is the first indigenous language program made for young children and uses stories, animation, songs, crafts and excursions to help children understand and feel comfortable participating in the Noongar culture.
Building resilience, empathy and compassion in children
Kids helping kids awards – Nominations now open!
The Kids Helping Kids Awards is SchoolAid’s inaugural national awards program which aims to recognise and reward school-based philanthropy. SchoolAid is a non-profit organisation which helps children to understand and put into context fundraising efforts at their school, including offering project toolkits to help students develop their own fundraising initiatives.
ECA Greenwatch
Reconnecting the world’s children to nature
'This document calls for a commitment to action in recognition that children and youth of the world benefit in many ways and across multiple domains of learning and development when they become more connected to the natural world around them.
‘The Call To Action beckons families, educators and community leaders worldwide to take action, to strengthen children's connection to nature – making developmentally appropriate nature education a sustaining and enriching, fully integrated part of the daily lives and education of the world's children.'
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.
The Early Years Learning Framework: Getting started
This guide is specifically designed to introduce and support educators in coming to know about, understand and work with the EYLF.
The Early Years Learning Framework: Building confident learners
Explores how educators can help children to be confident and involved learners, focusing on Outcome 4 of the first national Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.
Every Child Vol. 16 No. 1 – Belonging
Informative and easy-to-read articles in this issue focus especially on the notion of being and belonging, essential aspects of The Early Years Learning Framework.
ECA Calendar
Early Childhood Intervention Australia National Biennial Conference
20–22 May
National Convention Centre
31 Constitution Ave
Canberra
Children learn 'every day and every way' from the learning opportunities that are available to them in the contexts in which they live, play and learn. The focus of this conference will be young children with disabilities (additional needs) and their families.
Watch this space: Children, young people and privacy conference
21 May 2010
8:30am–5:15pm
Crown Promenade Hotel
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank, Melbourne
This one-day conference includes presentations from over 25 leading experts in privacy regulation, law, education, cybersafety, media, youth work, health and sexuality.
Visit Early Childhood Australia's online calendar – it's the easy way to keep track of important events, conferences and dates.
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ECA WebWatch - Issue 92, May 2010. © Early Childhood Australia.
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