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The latest early childhood news!

In this issue, purchase your tickets for the 2017 Live Wires Forum! Register today to access the limited special discounted ticket offer! The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority has published a new guide to support the education and care sector to understand and prepare for changes to the National Quality Framework; SNAICC—National Voice for our Children welcomes the recent report, Voices: What children have told us—Child Protection; and the government is taking action on immunisation requirements for children. In other news, Raising Children Network has released some helpful information on trauma in early childhood; a recent study shows that non-standard working hours has an impact on how children view time spent with their father; and a new Policy Paper has been released on family violence response and prevention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. Around Australia, the AJEC Research Symposium call for abstracts closes at 11.59 pm (AEST) tomorrow; Early Childhood Intervention Australia invites sector colleagues to register for its Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention workshops; schools have been participating in school readiness testing to prepare for the move to NAPLAN Online; children can take part in animating a space song for ABC Splash; and be sure to support the Kidsafe Pool Party this Sunday 1 October. 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.

2017 Live Wires Forum

Register today for the 2017 Live Wires Forum! From 24–25 November, join sector colleagues for hands-on learning about STEM and digital play; listen to keynote sessions featuring guest speakers such as Lydia Plowman; and during concurrent sessions, explore and play in the innovative Tech Play Room, as well as talk to experts and other educators. Find out more here.

Policy Paper

The Policy Paper Strong Families, Safe Kids is a collaboration between SNAICC—National Voice for our Children, National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services. In this paper, each body approaches the issue of family violence in different ways and from different perspectives.

NAPLAN Online

Over the past several weeks, schools across Australia have been participating in school readiness testing to prepare for the move to NAPLAN Online. The testing ensures schools have sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, and are familiar with the online test. Survey results showed that schools felt students were more engaged with the online tests compared to pen-and-paper assessments.

Working long hours

A recent study, Long hours and longings, showed that non-standard work times and work pressures have a significant impact on how children view time spent with their father. Key messages include: around 35 per cent of children considered that their father works too much; and the frustration felt by fathers in trying to balance work and family demands is shared by their children.

Pool party campaign

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death for Australian children under five years of age, with majority of these occurring in backyard swimming pools. To help reduce these statistics, Kidsafe is holding the Kidsafe Pool Party this Sunday 1 October—a campaign aimed at spreading the message to pool and spa owners to check the safety of their pool or spa barrier.

No Jab, No Pay

Under new legislation, parents’ fortnightly Family Tax Benefit Part A payments will be reduced by about $28 per fortnight for each child who does not meet the immunisation requirements. These changes will replace the current system, from 1 July 2018. ECA would rather see the government ramp up its public immunisation education campaign to remind families when vaccinations are due.

ECIA workshops

Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) invites sector colleagues to register for its Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention workshops. These workshops are being delivered at a number of locations across Victoria and Tasmania over the coming months. Click here for more details.

First response

Raising Children Network has released new information on trauma in early childhood. Trauma: First response to help children discusses topics such as ‘Spotting the signs of trauma’ and ‘Getting support after traumatic events’. Click here to access the web page.

Space song competition

These school holidays, get the kids involved in animating a space song! The best pictures will be published as a learning resource on ABC Splash! Competition closes at 5.00 pm, 3 November 2017. Click here and type 'space song competition' into the main search bar for further details.


	New guide to the National Quality Framework

	In partnership with all governments, the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has published a new guide to support the education and care sector to understand and prepare for changes to the National Quality Framework (NQF). The new guide consolidates the NQF Resource Kit and Operational Policy Manual, forming one resource for service providers, educators, service leaders and regulatory authorities. Visit the ACECQA website for more information.


	Children's voices

	SNAICC—National Voice for our Children welcomes the recent report from the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory (NT). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children make up 89.1 per cent of all children in out-of-home care in the NT. Voices: What children have told us—Child Protection captures what is often lost in discussions about the best interests of our children.


	In state and territory news ...

	In Tasmania, the Child and Family Centre's 'Tactical Tots for Blokes & Kids' program will help build a closer and more positive relationship between fathers and toddlers; in New South Wales, parents who refuse to vaccinate their children will no longer be allowed to enrol them in child care under the 'conscientious objector' option, which will no longer be available from January 2018; students across Queensland will be safer thanks to the Palaszczuk Government's continued rollout of the school crossing supervisors program; in the Australian Capital Territory, declining literacy results in primary school-aged Indigenous children and the need to foster a love of reading to ensure better long-term outcomes was the focus of the University of Canberra's 2017 Ngunnawal Lecture; in South Australia, people who administer websites that disseminate or stream child exploitation material could face up to 10 years in jail under new laws introduced by the state government; and the Hodgman Liberal Government in Tasmania is delivering on its commitment to make it easier for victims of child abuse to seek damages.

Start Early

Start Early. Respectful relationships for life is now available on the ECA Learning Hub website. The three modules look at developing Respectful Relations, exploring Gender, Respect and Identity, and encouraging Father Inclusive Practice. Purchase the modules as a package, or access them, and other ECA Learning Hub modules, as a part of an ECA Learning Hub Annual Subscription.

Complete our survey

Let's give children a voice about their experience of participating in early childhood education. Please help us reflect children's views by inviting parents to take our online survey—parents simply ask their children a series of short questions about their experience of early learning. You can access the survey here—it should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Communication matters

Effective communication helps to develop respectful relationships. It builds shared understanding and trust between parents and educators. During the Communication matters webinar with Sandy Clark and Leanne Harding, embrace active listening skills and explore how they can reduce or overcome barriers to communication. Register here.

Year 1 Phonics Screen

‘The debate around literacy teaching and learning is complex, carrying quite divergent views about what constitutes effective literacy pedagogy, especially for young learners ...’ Click here to read more of Jenni Connor's blog, Year 1 Phonics Screen—should we be concerned?

ECA has four core publications available as subscription packages for those working, studying or interested in the early childhood sector: Research in Practice Series; Everyday Learning Series; Every Child magazine; Australasian Journal of Early Childhood. Subscribe today!

Closing soon!

The call for abstracts for the 2018 AJEC Research Symposium closes at 11.59 pm (AEST) this Friday 29 September. Submit your abstract today! To be held from 16–17 February 2018 at QUT, Brisbane, guest speakers include Emeritus Professor Helen May and Professor Ann Farrell. Register today!

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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 269, September 2017.