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Can we belong everywhere?

Can we belong everywhere?

‘We welcome everyone and respect every person’s right to belong’. Early childhood professionals say this all the time. It’s one of our sector’s dearly held mantras. Every day, through our words and actions, we endorse this sentiment.…
No Jab, no p(l)ay

No Jab, no p(l)ay

No Jab, no p(l)ay: The ethics of vaccination for early childhood educators Catharine Hydon in Conversation with Trent Moy Over the past 18 months of this global pandemic, early childhood educators have navigated a myriad of ethical challenges.…
ECA’s Federal Budget for early education

ECA’s Federal Budget for early education

Each year ECA prepares a pre-budget submission for the Commonwealth Government to ensure the views of the early childhood education and care sector can be incorporated into the Budget process. In late November 2020, the Assistant Treasurer…
The time to welcome students back to early childhood services is now!

The time to welcome students back to early childhood services is now!

Catharine Hydon and Kerrie O’Neill share nine compelling reasons why now is the time for students studying early childhood education and care to be in services doing placement. It’s been bubbling for months but do you realise the…
What does National Skills Week mean to you?

What does National Skills Week mean to you?

At a time of significant staff shortage and challenges in the early childhood sector, it is worth pausing to recognise the substantial contribution of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Every day, across Australia, hundreds…
What lies ahead

What lies ahead

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has been working hard to understand the issues for members, families and children and provide effective advocacy and representation. As we face the second half of 2020, it might…
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The ethics of safety

Early childhood education and care services have shown enormous strength, courage and resourcefulness as the COVID-19 pandemic bites. Many have been forced to swiftly create new protocols for their learning community and ways to keep everyone…
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Who do you believe?

What is a professional to do? CATHARINE HYDON asks when events outside of our control upend all our professional certainties and make the present and the future complex and hard to navigate. This blog considers another angle on professionalism…
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Having each other’s back

Professionalism in times of uncertainty—a conversation worth having, writes CATHARINE HYDON, who, among many contributions to the sector in Australia, is a leading advocate on ethics for early childhood education and care.  In all…
Ethics in action

Ethics in action

We are surrounded by ethics every day in every setting, whether it be a decision or situation. But what about applying ethics in early childhood education and care?  ‘I believe children benefit from being around self-respecting adults’—Lilian…