About

The Early Childhood Australia Western Australia Branch offers support, information and forums to early childhood organisations, services, professionals, parents and policy makers about relevant and current issues regarding children, their families and their place in the community.

The branch has a broad membership from children’s services, early childhood organisations and education and interested people, all of whom share a common desire to provide leadership and advocacy on behalf of children and those that work with children.

Our Business

Early Childhood Australia WA has three organisational imperatives which give direction to and focuses its work to achieve its mission.

1. Advocacy

To promote the interests and well being of young children and the people who work with them as broadly and effectively as possible.

2. Leadership

To promote high standards of professionalism that supports and encourages people in leadership roles at all levels.

3. A progressive organisation

To ensure that the organisation has strong directional leadership to enhance the ability to work to achieve the vision and mission and continue to be a leader in the early childhood field and the broader community. As a branch we will take a leadership role in addressing current issues.

Branch Executive

President (Position description) Doreen Blyth
Vice President  (Position description) Sally Whitaker
National Director (Position description) Wendy Gorman
Treasurer (Position description) Claire Wylie
Secretary (Position description) Stephanie Jackiewicz
Admin Officer Suzanne Lawrence

Committee Members (Position description)

Anna Targowska
Ralph Southall
Sandra Hesterman
Jayne Kaiko
Sandy Clark
Kate Pitt
Ruth Wallace
Hayley Cann
Isabelle Adams
Marcelle Saratsis
Denise Clarke
Margaret Owens

Contact

ECA WA has an administrative officer, Suzanne Lawrence who is available Tuesdays 10am-2pm.. At other times, you can contact us on the below details:

e: ecawa@earlychildhood.org.au

ECA WA Branch
PO Box 786
Mount Lawley
WA 6929

Facebook

ECA WA Branch is now on Facebook. Click here to follow us.

Newsletters

Save children’s play in WA pre-primary classrooms—endorse the campaign for a WA Play Strategy

Play-based learning is disappearing from children’s lives

This is particularly the case in West Australia’s kindergarten and pre-primary classrooms and there is now an urgent need to develop a WA Play Strategy to safeguard young children’s right to play.

The WA branch of Early Childhood Australia (ECA WA), the key advocacy group for children from birth to eight years of age, is leading a national initiative by pursuing the development of a WA play strategy. ECAWA is seeking YOUR support to launch this important initiative.

A discussion paper written in 2016 (accessible below both as a summary and full paper) identifies the serious concerns expressed by those working with young children about the erosion of play.

The paper highlights the clear policy benefits of developing a play strategy.

ECA WA and other key WA advocacy groups believe that such a strategy will elevate the status of play in young children’s learning and development.

The WA Play Strategy initiative aims to deliver a State Government-lead play strategy similar to what is now established in Scotland: https://soscn.org/policy/national_play_strategy

Your individual endorsement will provide significant influence towards achieving this goal.

There is no financial contribution just agreement in principle that this initiative has merit.

To endorse NOW please proceed to the ‘endorsement’ link below so ECA WA can provide evidence of cross-community support for the initiative.

Please circulate this link widely to other Western Australians who support the child’s right to child-initiated and self-directed play-based learning. For further information please email Early Childhood Australia (WA Branch)

Discussion Paper

Click here to endorse

Reconciliation Action Plan

To view the ECA WA branch Reconciliation Action Plan click here.

Reports and Papers

1. 2014 Discussion Paper: A call for high quality early childhood education in the early years of school in Western Australia.