Early Childhood Australia


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The latest early childhood news!

In this issue, Early Childhood Australia (ECA) is disappointed that the Senate passed the Jobs for Families Child Care Package without amendments. The Department of Health is inviting submissions on the social and cultural determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health; the Department of Education—Aboriginal Affairs is offering grants to support NAIDOC Week celebrations in July; and tonight, don't miss out on joining a live Facebook discussion on maternity leave and protecting your work rights. In other news, a $2.1 million pilot support program for children of veterans with mental health issues has been launched; key child health information has been translated into 10 languages; the Australian Government will provide more than $160 000 to promote Australian authors and illustrators at the global Children’s Book Fair; and preschools across Australia are invited to express their interest in the 2018 Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) Pilot program. It’s Global Money Week—check out the Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s (ASIC) MoneySmart website for practical tips and resources to use with your children; and the Parent Engagement Conference Australia will be held in Melbourne from 6–8 June 2017. New reports and information have also been released: the Child protection Australia 2015–16 report is now available; according to the ABS, more dads are working flexible hours to care for young children; and you can get involved in a survey for the Supporting Nutrition for Australian Childcare (SNAC) website. And finally, we fill you in on the latest state and territory news.

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.

Leaving vulnerable children behind

Early Childhood Australia (ECA) is disappointed that the Senate passed the Jobs for Families Child Care Package without amendments. It is estimated that more than 30 000 children could lose access to early learning because their parents would fail the Activity Test which is now part of the new Child Care Package requirements. Read ECA’s full media statement here.

Submission invitation from the Department of Health

The Department of Health is inviting submissions from organisations and individuals on the social and cultural determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Determinants include (but are not limited to) connection to family, community, country, language and culture; racism; and early childhood development, education and youth. Submissions close 30 April 2017.

Key health information now translated

In the 100th year of the Victorian Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Service, key child health information has been translated into 10 languages: Arabic, Burmese, Chin (Hakha), Chinese (Simplified), Dari, Persian, Karen, Khmer, Punjabi and Vietnamese. Translated materials include the ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ message and information on water and outdoor safety.

Supporting Australia's authors and illustrators

The Australian Government will provide more than $160 000 over four years to promote Australian authors and illustrators at the pre-eminent global Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy. This funding gives Australian authors and artists the opportunity to promote their work on an international stage to an international audience. Click here for more information.

Establishing good money habits for life

It’s Global Money Week! To mark this annual event (27 March–2 April 2017), the Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s (ASIC) MoneySmart website is offering practical tips and resources for parents to help them teach children about money and to establish good money habits for life.

New pilot program for children of veterans

A $2.1 million pilot support program has been launched for children of veterans with mental health issues, run by the Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation. The program will include recreational and educational camps for children from eight years of age and aims to assist in building coping skills and resilience.

The value of family

Parent engagement involves all people in the life of a child, working together to create a stimulating and supportive environment for their learning and development. Held in Melbourne from 6–8 June 2017, the Parent Engagement Conference Australia shines a light on the value of these relationships.

Survey opportunity

Established in 2013, Supporting Nutrition for Australian Childcare (SNAC) is a nutrition education website which aims to support healthy eating environments in early childhood education and care settings. If you would like to get involved in a project to understand nutrition knowledge among family day care educators, click here.

Stay at home dads

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), men working part time has become the fastest growing labour sector over the past two years, with a growth of 11 per cent. The ABS reports that around 30 per cent of dads are currently working flexible hours to care for young children, compared to 16 per cent 20 years ago.


	Making improvements to child protection

	A new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report, Child protection Australia 2015–16, has shown that the number of children in the out-of-home care system in Australia has increased. At a meeting with State and Territory Community Services Ministers in November, it was agreed that the Commonwealth, state and territory governments would develop a set of guiding principles to drive improvement in this area. This is a step in the right direction, but 'we need to do everything we can as soon as we can', said Senator Zed Seselja, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs.


	Facebook Live: Maternity leave and protecting your work rights

	Join Kinderling Conversation host Shevonne Hunt in a live Facebook discussion tonight on maternity leave and protecting your work rights, with Employment Rights Solicitor (Hall Payne Lawyers) and mum, Eliza Sarlos. This live discussion is aimed at reaching new parents and mums who are pregnant or about to go on maternity leave, how to avoid discrimination and manage work when you return. Click here to send your questions. When: Tonight, 30 March at 8.00 pm (AEDT).


	Grants for NAIDOC Week celebrations

	NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and achievements. The Department of Education—Aboriginal Affairs offers grants to support NAIDOC Week celebrations and events within communities across NSW. Applications are open now and close 27 April 2017. The 2017 event will be held from 2–9 July with the theme, ‘Our Languages Matter’.


	ELSA—a new play-based digital learning program

	Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) is a new play-based digital learning program for preschool children to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It’s a new program funded by the Department of Education and Training, following on from the successful Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program. All preschools across Australia are now invited to express their interest in the 2018 ELSA Pilot. Applications close 10 April. More information is available on the ELSA website.


	In state and territory news ...

	The Victorian Government is expanding kindergartens in the Central Goldfields Shire and increasing enrolment, bringing vital family services under the one roof; the Hodgman Liberal Government has announced its goal to lead the nation in education and create a job-ready generation of Tasmanians. This includes ensuring that all children have access to quality play-based early learning; in New South Wales (NSW), Gareth Ward has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Education; young cyclists will have a safe place to practise their riding skills and learn about road safety at the new Tuggeranong Learn to Ride centre in the Australian Capital Territory; in South Australia, a new respite home for children living with disability will provide more options for families and carers in Adelaide’s southern suburbs; and in Victoria, the Andrews Labor Government will invest a further $1.6 million to continue a successful recruitment campaign to attract more foster carers to help children in out-of-home care.

ECA Code of Ethics webinar

Catharine Hydon unpacks the ECA Code of Ethics and what it means to be an ethical professional in this new webinar that extends on from the ‘Working with the ECA Code of Ethics’ online module.
This webinar will be released in the next week—look out for a notification on our Facebook page and in your inbox!

Social development

Need help explaining how early childhood education improves children’s social and emotional development and why this matters? Read a comprehensive article by Pam Linke, The importance of teaching social and emotional skills in early learning, and watch this informative video in our Educator Toolkit.

Connecting with community

Leopold Kindergarten has been thinking about ways of building on relationships. Their KidsMatter journey led them on a new project that was better than they ever imagined. They began ‘Creating a sense of community’ through recycling and repurposing plastic lids. Discover what their children created by clicking here.

New webinar

Our next webinar looks at identifying developmental concerns and how to manage the often complex and difficult discussion with families about these concerns. ‘I’m concerned about a child’s development … now what?’ will be presented by Early Childhood Intervention Australia’s Emma Pierce on 27 April 2017 at 6.00 pm AEST. Click here to register.

Updated resource

An updated version of Your child's first year at school is soon to be released, with previous authors Jenni Connor and Pam Linke joining forces again. The new title, First year at school: Essential tips for parents and carers, will also feature a range of online articles for further information and resources. Keep an eye on the ECA website for when this resource becomes available.

Travel subsidy

ECA's Reconciliation Symposium is fast approaching; we recognise that some individuals and organisations may find it difficult to participate due to limited resources and travel. ECA is offering a subsidy to assist in the cost of travel. To check eligibility and complete the application form, click here to email the events team no later than COB 7 April 2017.

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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 256, March 2017.