Early Childhood news delivered straight to you!

Welcome to the latest issue of the award winning ECA WebWatch. Our feature item this week is the Federal Election—a significant challenge to the ECEC National quality Reform Agenda.

In this issue:

• Early Childhood Australia says there are clear differences between the two major parties on ECEC
• Early Childhood Australia applauds the Labor Party’s commitment to quality reform agenda
• quality ECEC services and our nation’s economy
• Early Childhood Australia rejects claims of cost increases to childcare
• LHMU calls for an end to scare campaign
• Gillard Government denounces scare tactics
• childcare director reassures parents over QLD childcare owner claims
• send your 2010 Federal Election e-card!
• find ECA on facebook
• 2010 Symposium: Early Years Learning Framework in Action
• the great book swap! - Indigenous literacy week 21 till 27 August
• national literacy and numeracy week: 29 august till 4 September
• national child protection week — from 5 September
• Dr. Bruce D. Perry's speaking tour - the neurobiology of childhood trauma
• child protection and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
• one person’s junk is another person’s treasure!

Plus:

• ECA Greenwatch
• your ECA Conference update
• quality-assured early childhood resources.

ECA WebWatch feature items:

Early Childhood Australia says there are clear differences between the two major parties on ECEC

Our Chief Executive Pam Cahir has an article in the National Times today outlining the difference in polices between the two major parties on our priority issues this election. Please have a read and feel free to comment or leave a comment on Early Childhood Australia’s facebook page. It’s another way to show your support for quality early childhood education and care!

Early Childhood Australia applauds the Labor Party’s commitment to quality reform agenda

Early Childhood Australia applauds the Labor Party’s recommitment to ensuring quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) and calls on the Opposition to match the Labor Party’s assurance to improve the quality of the early childhood sector. Read on here.

Quality ECEC services and our nation’s economy

Early Childhood Australia asks that all political parties make public their policies about early education and care services, stressing the link between high quality ECEC services and the nation’s short and long term productivity. “What’s good for children is good for the economy” says Pam Cahir CEO of ECA. Read the full article in the Herald Sun and a similar article in Adelaide Now.

Early Childhood Australia rejects claims of cost increases to childcare

Early Childhood Australia has rejected the claims made by some childcare centres in Queensland, stating that although true improvements will cost money, the increases will not reach those claimed by the childcare centres in question.Read the full media release.

LHMU calls for an end to scare campaign

Childcare union LHMU has called for an end the unfounded scare campaign initiated by Childcare Queensland. Read on for more details. See the Courier Mail’s similar reportage here.

Gillard Government denounces scare tactics

Read all about the Gillard Government’s rejection of the scare tactics employed by some private childcare centre owners in Queensland, who have distributed incorrect information about the childcare quality improvement reforms to protect their exclusive interests.

Childcare director reassures parents over QLD childcare owner claims

Childcare centre director Janette Glynn sent this letter to the parents of children attending her centre, to reassure parents that the claims made by Queensland childcare owners are in fact incorrect.

Send your hands up for quality e-card!

This Federal Election, the rights of children and quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Australia will be more important than ever. So put your hands up for quality and make your vote count by sending a 2010 Federal Election e-card to our leaders.

Find ECA on facebook

Join Early Childhood Australia on facebook, and help us create another interface through which we can advocate for Australia’s children, raise awareness and recruit more supporters.

Your ECA Conference update

We have 940 registrations already to Australia’s biggest early childhood conference! The program focuses on issues facing ECEC and care, particularly the Early Years Learning Framework. Have a look at the speakers and proposed program here and register online to attend the conference or download the hardcopy registration form and send it to us.

Are you located in a rural or remote area?

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has provided limited funding to subsidise the travel costs of delegates from rural and remote areas of Australia so they can attend the 2010 ECA National Conference.

If you live or work in a remote or rural area* and would like to apply for the available ECA Conference $200 Travel Assistance, fill out our form and along with a copy of your conference confirmation, fax or mail to the Conference Secretariat (details provided on the form).

A list of all post codes that are eligible to apply for funding can be found here. *Please note that outer regional, remote and very remote classifications have been provided by DEEWR.

Visit the conference website www.ecaconference.com.au

2010 Symposium: Early Years Learning Framework in Action

Held at UNE, Saturday 23 October, this is a wonderful occasion for early childhood workers, students and the general public to explore the implications of the new national Early Years Learning Framework for childcare practices. Find more information here.

The great book swap! - Indigenous literacy week 21 till 27 August

Register your service or school for the Great Book Swap, a fundraising initiative organized by the Indigenous literacy Project, with the aim of reducing rates of illiteracy amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders.

National and literacy and numeracy week: 29 august till 4 September

Keep an eye on a this link for events and other information relating to National Literacy and Numeracy Week 2010.

National child protection week: from 5 September

As a part of this year’s message of prevention, the role of professionals working with children and families will be highlighted as vital to prevent child abuse. See “Polly and me”, an Ian Darling Production created to raise awareness of the cause.

Dr. Bruce D. Perry's Speaking Tour - The Neurobiology of Childhood Trauma

Dr. Bruce D. Perry will be making a series of talks about how the negative impact of chaos, threat, traumatic stress, abuse and neglect on children can alter the child’s brain and result in enduring cognitive, behavioural, emotional, social, psychological and physical problems. Find out more and register here. Early bird closes 13 August.

Child protection and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

Refer to this resource sheet to view the rates of involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection and out of home care.

One person’s junk is another person’s treasure!

Check out this link for inspirational ideas for play-based learning using ‘junk’ and see how kids naturally re-invent and create their own extensions of play-based learning!

Quality-assured early childhood resources

ECA fire sale ending soon!

Hurry and order quality assured resources now. Check-out which titles are remaining and download the order form on our fire sale link, and place an order before the fire sale ends!

ECA Greenwatch

A dam good reason to visit Canberra

Download the Cotter Dam education kit, designed by the ACTEW to raise water literacy across the nation. The kit is designed to involve kids in Australia’s only large-scale dam building project and help them to understand our country’s unique water supply issues. Find more information here.

ECA website usability survey

We need your help! We are asking people who use the ECA website for their opinions. Can you please spare a minute and answer our four simple questions? We'll use this information to make a better website. Please help us out with ECA's website usability survey.

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 with a subject of Unsubscribe ECA Webwatch 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 95, August 2010. © Early Childhood Australia.