Last updated 05/06/2020

Early childhood educator resources

Welcome to the Resources page of ECA’s response: COVID-19 site

Here you will find resources that ECA has curated to support your educator practice or continuity of service during this pandemic. Whether it is a toolkit for your own or children’s mental health and wellbeing, information and resources to share with your team or families, tips and updates on essential supplies, posters and songs for hygience practices in your daily routines—you will find it here, along with links to sites that you may find useful.

Scroll down to explore or hit the navigation bar on a topic of interest. And please send us your suggestions, examples, songs and ideas so that we can add and share them here. Email us via thespoke@earlychildhood.org.au.

Be You COVID-19 resource

Be You has created a new resource to help educators look after their own and children’s mental health during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 outbreak. Remember self care is important right now, learn more here.

To find ECA’s Member Summary: Mental Health and Wellbeing, developed with the Be You team, click here.

ECA’s Blog: The Spoke

We have created a COVID-19 category on The Spoke, where you can read pandemic-related posts by early childhood professionals, academics and ECA. Some of the topics covered include: ethics and safety, useful resources, online learning, how to create a learning environment at home, children as citizens in a pandemic and remote learning in early childhood.

Resources from the government

The resources below and share them online or at your service!

Posters

Videos

To share with families 

ABC network resources

Coronavirus information

Coronacast is a series of short podcasts hosted by the ABC’s Dr Norman Swan. It covers many aspects of the COVID-19 virus and its impacts. You can find the series and latest episodes here.

ABC Kids and Early Education Content

Educators looking for suggestions for families: ideas and inspiration for at home activities (things to make and do with children).

Kids Listen Content

If your service isn’t going on excursions at the moment, check out these alternative resources to get active.

ABC Education

Useful articles for educators of any age group/read and share/ideas when engaging with families.

Harvard Center for the Developing Child

This infographic from the Harvard Center for the Developing Child explains COVID-19 and what it can mean for stress levels in both children and the adults who care for them. They also offer solutions to help educators and families ensure neither experience long-term effects of stress.

Plus listen to this podcast, discussing how to support healthy child development during a pandemic, including the importance of caring for caregivers. They also talk about what we’ve already learned as a result of the coronavirus, and what we hope to continue learning.

Securing supplies

Some ECEC services are having difficulty ordering food and other groceries from their usual supplier. This appears to be largely due to widespread public fear of COVID-19 and the potential need for periods of isolation.  Some consultation with people in the food services industry suggests there are no significant supply issues per se, but the supply chain is experiencing unusual demand pressures. (Watch an interview with Cathy Harris, Chair of Harris Farm, who says Australia has the groceries it needs and there is no need to panic. Click here to find the ABC 7:30 interview).

Are you buying wholesale? You may have to buy larger quantities but they generally have good online ordering systems and regular delivery. Can you band together with other ECEC providers in your area to buy in bulk from wholesale suppliers? This could be an option to switch to, you may have to buy larger quantities but they generally have good online ordering systems and regular delivery options. Another option is to purchase from local market grocers who will often deliver during the week, or specialty suppliers with a social purpose such as ‘Who Gives a Crap’ for toilet paper.

Wholesale suppliers and local market grocers listed below:

Please send us your suggestions to add to this list or tell us how you are managing to secure essential supplies. You can email us at thespoke@earlychildhood.org.au or follow us on facebook: www.facebook.com/earlychildhoodaustralia.

COVID-19 Symptom Checker

This symptom check from Health Direct provides a link to your nearest testing facility, should you need a test. Click here for more information.

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