Early Childhood Australia


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The latest early childhood news!

In this issue, we call for expressions of interest for two available positions on the ECA Publications Committee. A number of reports have been released including the latest Australian Child Health Poll; the OECD’s 2016 Education at a Glance report; and a new resource sheet from the Australian Institute of Family Studies detailing the economic cost of child abuse and neglect. UNICEF has called for better data on children to track child-related Sustainable Development Goals indicators as we remind readers that Anti-Poverty Week is coming up on 16–22 of October. A number of free resources are available for schools that sign up for The Schools Recycle Right Challenge and ABC Splash has compiled a list of 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-themed resources. Applications are now open for the 2016 Digital Literacy School Grants program and tenders are open in Queensland for wellbeing services to help support and protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. We also include some state and territory news including funding for NSW preschools, the new Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017–2020, and the release of a Child Safety Handbook in Victoria.

Jump down to find out what the various ECA teams and projects have been up to and the new resources available for the early childhood sector.

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Positions available: ECA Publications Committee

ECA is seeking to fill two positions on the ECA Publications Committee. Expressions of interest are invited for the roles of ECA Publications Editor and Member of the ECA Publications Committee. Expressions of interest will close on Wednesday 2 November 2016. Follow the links above for more information on the available roles and how to apply.

The economic costs of child abuse and neglect

A new resource sheet from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (Child Family Community Australia) details the economic cost of child abuse and neglect. The paper outlines expenditure by departments responsible for child protection services and also looks at the broader long-term costs of child abuse and neglect. Click here to access the resource sheet.

UNICEF calls for better data on children

UNICEF is calling for greater investment in data on children, stating that sufficient data is only available for half of the child-related Sustainable Development Goals indicators. The UNICEF analysis shows that measures on poverty and violence that can be compared are too limited or of poor quality.

Education at a Glance report

The OECD’s 2016 Education at a Glance report has been released, providing information on the state of education around the world. The report includes key information on the impact of learning across countries; the financial and human resources invested in education; access, participation and progression in education; and the learning environment and organisation of schools.

Latest Australian Child Health Poll

The fourth Australian Child Health Poll has been released, looking at what over-the-counter medicines parents are using and why. The report reveals that 92 per cent of children have received an over-the-counter medicine in the past 12 months and 65 per cent have received more than one different type of medicine. Click here to read more.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-themed resources

ABC Splash has compiled a list of 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-themed resources for Primary English. The list includes learning a Dhurga greeting; learning to count in Kaurna; naming parts of the body in Dhurga; and a video about discovering the diversity of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

Digital Literacy School Grants—applications now open

Applications are now open for the 2016 Digital Literacy School Grants program which supports projects that demonstrate new methods for enhancing digital literacy in schools. Applications will close on Friday 28 October 2016. Click here for more information.

Anti-Poverty Week 2016

Anti-Poverty Week is a week where all Australians are encouraged to organise or take part in an activity aiming to highlight or overcome issues of poverty and hardship here in Australia and overseas. The 2016 Anti-Poverty Week will be held from 16–22 of October. Click here to find out about the week and how you can get involved.

Free resources—Schools Recycle Right Challenge

A number of free resources are available for schools that sign up for The Schools Recycle Right Challenge during 10 October to 11 November 2016. This national program aims to help children learn about the environmental benefits of recycling and how to recycle right.


	Funding boost for NSW preschools

	The NSW Government has announced funding of $115 million to enable more children to participate in 15 hours per week of early childhood education in community preschools and long day care centres. The announcement states that NSW preschool fees will be cut by an average of 30 per cent. Read more here.


	Child Safety Handbook launched in Victoria

	A new resource has been launched for Victorian parents, carers and teachers to keep children safe. The Victoria Police Legacy Child Safety Handbook provides practical advice about preventing and responding to danger including a variety of topics. The Child Safety Handbook will be distributed to Victorian schools and will be available online soon.


	NSW Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017–2020

	The NSW Government has announced their new Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2017–2020 which includes an investment of $340 million. The Strategy includes an aim to increase the focus on early intervention with experts supporting the literacy and numeracy skills of at-risk Kindergarten to Year 2 students. Click here to read more.


	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services in Queensland

	Tenders are open in Queensland for wellbeing services to help support and protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. The second stage of the rollout of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services will include new services in 15 locations across Queensland. Click here to read more.

Latest module

This Friday 30 September, we will be releasing our latest module, ‘Environments for learning: Indoor learning spaces’. This module, presented by Luke Touhill, looks at the role of the physical environment in children's learning and will help you build creative and effective indoor learning spaces for young children. Find out about our subscription packages here.

Find out more

Find out what the Early Learning: Everyone Benefits campaign is all about, and how it’s informed by the Frameworks Institute research on Australian attitudes to early childhood in this compact presentation.
Help us get the message ‘Don’t fudge early learning’ to our Federal MPs and Senators—click here to donate today.

We are architects

‘As educators, we can make a difference in the lives of children in our care.’

The community at Ngala Early Learning and Development Service are exploring their understanding about children’s brain development and its connection to wellbeing. Click here to read how.

Conference webcast package

Get the best of the ECA National Conference 2016 without travelling to Darwin! Our new webcast package offers you live access to six keynote presentations, from the convenience of your own computer. Just $190 for ECA members (or $220 for non-members).
Registrations are now open. To find out more about ECA membership, click here.

Highlights of the new Early Years Connect website

One of the highlights of the new Early Years Connect website is the online module series. Over the next few months, there will be 15 online modules released to support Queensland educators who work with children with disability and complex additional needs. Click here to register for free today.

Engaging fathers

Associate Professor Richard Fletcher will be at the ECA Conference delivering his keynote address ‘Engaging fathers in the early childhood space. Why and how?’ Richard Fletcher wrote the Start Early module, ‘Father inclusive practice’. You can watch his keynote (and many others) by registering for our ECA Conference Live Webcast by clicking here.

Become an ECA Member today: Learn more

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Early Childhood Australia disclaimer
The opinions expressed in the articles and external links are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Early Childhood Australia.

ECA WebWatch—Issue 245, September 2016.