About
Early Childhood Australia Victoria advocates to ensure quality, social justice and equity in all issues relating to children from birth to eight years and that these children have a voice. Our vision is that ‘Every young child is thriving and learning’.
The ECA Victoria Committee achieves this through speaking on behalf of young children to parents, governments, educators, carers and the community. We are committed to promoting high standards of practice in the early childhood sector and contribute to and comment on policy that affects young children and their families.
The ECA Victoria Committee is governed by a volunteer committee and is a member of the ECA national organisation. We engage our members through regular communication via social media and newsletters and hold regular forums that members can attend to keep up to date with current policy, research and issues within the sector. The committee is strongly committed to increasing our membership and advocating for the early childhood sector work force.
Acknowledgement of Country
Early Childhood Australia Victoria Committee acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations as the Traditional Custodians of the land in which our office is situated. We extend this acknowledgment to Traditional Custodians across Victoria and recognise their continuing connections to land and water and thank them for protecting this vast landscape and its ecosystems since time immemorial. We pay our deepest respects to Elders past and present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We recognise that we must reflect upon the significance of true reconciliation in all of ECA’s work. This commitment to Reconciliation is a commitment to all children and particularly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families.
As a community of Early Childhood professionals, we recognise that Aboriginal communities have been and continue to nurture and teach children on this land and in recognition we highly value, honour and respect this.
View Early Childhood Australia’s Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan: Winanggaay: Look, Listen and Learn.
Events/Forums
Each year the Victorian Branch of Early Childhood Australia hosts a series of forums to engage with ECA members and early childhood professionals.
Please join us for these 2023 events:
This year’s ECA Victoria’s forum will cover early childhood reforms. Please save the below dates for a series of consultative conversations with a critically reflective and informative spin on the following topics:
Forums Topics | Date |
Department of Education | 9th May |
Professional Identity | 11th July |
Child’s Voice | 12th September |
Research-Impact on reform | 14th November |
Join ECA for one of our four free online information sessions on the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) in practice. The sessions include a refresher on CISS and a practical case study on how information sharing can promote the wellbeing and safety of children attending your services.
31st October | Find out more |
1st November | Find out more |
15th November | Find out more |
16th November | Find out more |
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) is pleased to announce the Promoting Children’s Health & Safety Conference: Embedding a culture of information sharing in early childhood to be held on the 18th July at the Rydges Hotel, Exhibition Street Melbourne. Join us on the day for a deep dive into the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS), listen to expert speakers and participate in workshops to build on your knowledge and confidence while learning from colleagues and other professionals from information sharing entities.
Committee Executive
Chairperson | Nicole Pilsworth |
General Member | Leanne Mits |
General Member | Nicole Talarico |
General Member | David Wright |
General Member | Sam Vale |
General Member | Disha Nayyar |
General Member | Dr Helen Schiele |
General Member | Sarah Louise Gandolfo |
General Member | Casey Jai Goodman |
General Member | Kelly Rose |
General Member | Sharon Jordan |
General Member | Tracey Davey |
View a short bio on the ECA Victoria Committee Members here.
Committees with Representation
The Victorian Committee has representation on a variety of early childhood committees, advisory groups and professional support services throughout the state of Victoria.
- Regulation of Education and Care Services – Key Stakeholders
- ECA Leadership Forum
- Best Start Best Life Taskforce Advisory Group (TAG)
- ECA Learning Hub Advisory Group
- Training and Practice Advisory Group (Child Information Sharing Reforms) (TPAG)
- Box Hill Institute: Early Childhood Course Advisory Committee
- Child Link Implementation Reference Group (CLIRG)
- Department of Education Early Childhood Stakeholder Group
- Reconciliation Victoria STRIVE Committee
- ECA Reconciliation Advisory Group
Awards
The Victorian Committee of Early Childhood Australia offers a range of awards that celebrate student achievement and research excellence, in addition to providing financial support to attend professional development. The awards were established in 2005 and have expanded to six award categories, to meet the diverse needs of the early childhood community. Consider submitting a nomination, for you or someone you know.
Memorial Award (Category 1- general)
In recognition of her strong commitment to the professional development of early childhood educators, the Agnes Farrance Conference Award enables someone from within the profession to participate in a professional learning event of their choice and to have the opportunity to share their experience with colleagues and peers.
This award provides financial support for an early childhood educator to attend a conference up to the value of $1,000. This could be the National Early Childhood Conference or another significant conference.
For application forms and further details click here.
Closing date for application is 30 June 2024.
Memorial Award (Category 2- Inclusion)
Diane Chandler was strongly committed to the belief that all staff working within the sector needed to remain abreast of current research, trends and influences which would affect teaching practice in early childhood.
In recognition of her strong commitment to the professional development of early childhood educators, the Diane Chandler Memorial Award enables someone from within the profession to participate in their choice of a professional development opportunity that would improve outcomes for young children and their families.
This award provides financial support to an early childhood professional educator, to undertake professional development of their choosing to the value of $1500.
For application forms and further details click here.
Closing date for application is 30 June 2024.
Memorial Award (Category 3- Social Justice)
The Rose Kelly Recognition Award aims to acknowledge well-recognised and respected early childhood professionals who have engaged in effective advocacy for social justice and equity on behalf of young children and the early childhood sector.
This Award acknowledges well-recognised and respected early childhood professionals who have engaged in effective advocacy for social justice and equity on behalf of young children and the early childhood sector.
This award provides financial support to attend an ECA event in the year awarded. The successful recipient will also receive a 12-month subscription to the Early Childhood Australia Learning Hub.
For application forms and further details click here.
Closing Date for application is 30 June 2024.
ECA VIC Doctoral Thesis Award
The Victorian Committee Early Childhood Australia Doctoral Thesis Award was established in 2015. The aim of this award is to recognise the level of excellence and diligence required to undertake and complete a Doctoral thesis and to encourage the generation of quality and early childhood research in Victoria.
This award recognises the level of excellence and diligence required to undertake and complete a Doctoral thesis and to encourage the generation of quality and early childhood research in Victoria.
The thesis must be a PhD or EdD (Professional Doctorate) awarded in the year of application or the previous year by a university in Victoria.
The Doctoral Thesis Award comprises:
- A citation delivered with the presentation of the award at the ECA Victorian Committee AGM and/or Research Forum
- Travel support if required to attend the Victorian Committee AGM and/or Research Forum
The Award recipient will also receive a 12-month complimentary membership to Early Childhood Australia and subscriptions to ECA publications: AJEC; Every Child: Research in Practice and Everyday Learning.
For submission and assessment guidelines click here
For application forms and further details click here
Closing date for application is 30 August 2024.
ECA VIC Student Excellence Award
The Student Excellence Award showcases the endeavours and accomplishments of early childhood graduates, recognising not only academic excellence but also personal, professional and community achievements.
The Victorian Early Childhood Australia Student Awards are offered in the final year of pre-service teachers’ studies. The successful candidates for this award must be in the final year of their Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) or Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) course to be eligible for this award.
This Award showcases the endeavours and accomplishments of early childhood graduates, recognising not only academic excellence but also personal, professional and community achievements.
The Award recipient will receive a 12-month complimentary membership to Early Childhood Australia and a 12-month subscription to the Early Childhood Australia Learning Hub as an acknowledgment of being part of a dynamic, collective of early childhood professionals.
For application forms and further details click here.
Closing Date for application is 30 September 2024.
Special Interest Groups
The ECA Victoria Committee operates with a number of special interest groups (SIG’s) that support the needs and interests of ECA members. SIG’s operate under the auspices of a larger organisation and adhere to their policies. Each SIG is shaped by what its members want and hope to achieve, with objectives including but not limited to, a research and reading focus, discussions, networking, visits, guest speakers or advocacy. They offer opportunities for smaller groups to get together to think through marginalised and or specialised areas of interest.
Each SIG has two convenors who oversee the group. SIG convenors can be contacted directly if you are interested in joining the group or if you would like further information.
View the policy that guides the formation and structure of a Special Interest Group. As each SIG has a different focus and identity, this policy is a guide only.
Talking Reconciliation SIG
Convenor: Susan Werner and Leanne Mits—swerner@swin.edu.au
“Talking Reconciliation” aims to provide a regular opportunity for educators interested in progressing reconciliation within their services, and providing programs that include Indigenous perspectives in meaningful ways, to meet and share knowledge and skills. If you are interested in joining this group please contact the ECA Victoria Committee office.
This group is made up of interested participants in protecting and advocating for children.
Let’s Reflect – An opportunity for early childhood professional discussion
Convenors: Melissa Lowndes and Josie Caryuso—sigletsreflect@gmail.com
Let’s Reflect offers an informal space for educators, pre-service teachers, teachers and professionals from across the sector to come together to reflect on current ideas and challenges that are occurring within their practice. Let’s Reflect host four forums a year with a particular topic of discussion and where possible we invite along a professional friend who has a particular specialty or research in the topic.
Anti-Bias SIG
Convenors: Alistair Gibbs and Sarah Louise Gandolfo
Anti-Bias SIG aims to create a space where early childhood educators, teachers, students, specialists and professionals can come together to bravely discuss hard topics, questioning their practices and perceptions and making plans for a more inclusive environment.
Your Membership at Work
The ECA Vic committee publish a termly newsletter with information about the work of ECA in Victoria and nationally.
Contact
e: ecavic@earlychildhood.org.au
ECA Victorian Committee Facebook page—you don’t have to sign up to look.