Early Childhood news delivered straight to you!

Welcome to the latest issue of the award winning ECA WebWatch. This week WebWatch features childcare quality.

In this issue:

• announcing the Early Years Learning Framework Professional Learning Program!
• thirty percent of childcare centres failing health and safety procedures
• take part in Early Childhood Australia’s early childhood education and care survey!
• outdoor play—managing the risk of serious injury
• early intervention with parents can help to prevent child anxiety
• an obsession with monkeys
• supporting social competence and preventing challenging behaviour in young children
• Foundations—catch up on the latest issue!
• SNAICC Conference key note speeches now available online
• join ECA on Facebook!

Plus:

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

Announcing the Early Years Learning Framework Professional Learning Program!

The Early Years Learning Framework Professional Learning Program (EYLF PLP) provides ongoing professional support to services as they engage in the EYLF implementation process. The program is a national initiative and will take place in 2010—11.

The EYLF PLP has the following separate but interrelated elements:

• a national program of 65 EYLF workshops
• an online EYLF interactive forum available to all services and practitioners
• an online EYLF e-Newsletter
• EYLF online master classes focused on features of high quality early childhood practice
• a series of short EYLF practice and training video vignettes.

To find out more information and to keep up to date with workshop venue’s, please subscribe to our EYLF PLP newsletter, by visiting www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/eylfplp.

Your ECA Conference update

We have over 1100 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.

REMINDER! Registrations for the Conference must be completed before close of business, Monday 27 September. Conference dinner tickets must be purchased before close of business, Monday 27 September.

Thirty per cent of childcare centres failing health and safety procedures

The National Childcare Accreditation Council report says 30 per cent of inspected centres have failed health and safety procedures. Employment Participation and Childcare Minister Kate Ellis said 'the figures justified the implementation of a National Quality Framework for childcare in 2012’. Read Minister Ellis’ full media release, and Early Childhood Australia’s media release.

Take part in Early Childhood Australia’s early childhood education and care survey!

Coming soon—from 30 September we’re giving you a chance to win an iPad by taking part in our online survey. We want to hear your views about early childhood education and care, and the work of Early Childhood Australia. You can take the survey by going to the link on the front page of our website from 30 September to 14 October.

Outdoor play—managing the risk of serious injury

The Queensland Department of Education and Training published this tip sheet about safe outdoor play in childcare services, after a study revealed that ‘the majority of reported injuries to children in Queensland-licensed child care service occur in the outdoor play environment’.

Early intervention with parents can help to prevent child anxiety

‘A team of researchers from Macquarie University has found that early intervention with parents of children at risk for anxiety and related disorders can potentially make the difference in whether a child will go on to develop anxiety-related illnesses later.’ Read the full news story.

SNAICC Conference key note speeches now available online

Download and read the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) Conference keynote speeches here.

An obsession with monkeys

Here is a wonderful example of empowering early learning in action—as well as an entertaining read!

Supporting social competence and preventing challenging behaviour in young children

This article, published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, provides a ‘framework for addressing the social and emotional development and challenging behaviour of young children’.

Foundations—catch up on the latest issue!

Download the latest issue of Foundations, produced by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health in partnership with local early childhood services and staff. This issue of Foundations magazine focuses on diversity and inclusive practice.

Join ECA on Facebook!

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

ECA Greenwatch

Denmark at the forefront of eco-childcare centre design

Check out the most climate-friendly childcare centre in Denmark, which is due to open in November 2010. It has been designed to make more energy than it consumes!

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. Here are some of our books that deal with providing quality care, health and safety in childcare services.


Caring spaces, learning places: Children’s environments that work (rev.edn)

Offers a wealth of ideas for transforming environments to powerfully enhance learning, particularly in regard to children with special needs; families; and the connections between time, space and culture.


Tender Care and early learning: Supporting infants and toddlers in child care settings

A guide to providing high-quality care in childcare centres and homes, utilizing High/Scope’s active learning approach for young children just learning motor skills.


Health in early childhood settings: From emergencies to the common cold

Written in an approachable style, this user-friendly guide offers up-to-date information about the more common health issues and problems of early childhood, from emergencies to infection control.


Healthy children: A guide for child care (2nd edn)

Examines the health needs of children attending child care settings. Provides knowledge of health and related issues for both professionals and students, and addresses ANTA child care competencies.


No fear: Growing up in a risk averse society

A philosophy of resilience can counter risk-aversion and strike a balance between protecting children from genuine threats, while still allowing challenging learning opportunities.

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

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ECA WebWatch - Issue 98, September 2010. © Early Childhood Australia.