Early Childhood Australia


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The latest early childhood news!

Welcome to the first issue of WebWatch for 2018! Register today for the 2018 AJEC Research Symposium—don't miss your chance to network and share cutting-edge knowledge with early childhood academics, students, researchers, practitioners and pedagogy thinkers; new research suggests that primary school teachers could detect children at high risk of developing mental disorders; and SNAICC welcomes the release of the final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. In other news, the Turnbull Government is continuing its investment in mental health services; the cost of education has increased by 61 per cent in the past decade; UNICEF Australia welcomed the creation of a new dedicated Assistant Minister for Children and Families; and ACECQA has made further improvements to the national registers and Starting Blocks. Around the country, Kidsafe Victoria is proud to support the Victorian Government’s Never Leave Kids in Cars awareness campaign; don't miss the 2018 Yabun Festival, held annually on 26 January; take part in the Goodstart Summer Survey; and the opportunity is still open to take part in an important research study regarding professional reading. 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.

Yabun Festival

Don't miss the 2018 Yabun Festival on 26 January upon the traditional lands of the Gadigal people in Sydney. The largest one-day gathering and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in Australia, the Yabun Festival is a free event that features live music, children's activities, and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural performances.

Mental health services

The Turnbull Government is set to invest an additional $110 million to extend and expand mental health programs for young Australians. Funding will go towards providing information and support to teachers and early childhood workers, as well as towards ensuring the continued support for professionals and services who work with children and families.

A welcome report

SNAICC—National Voice for our Children welcomes the release of the final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors who shared their stories spoke not only of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, but also of racism and cultural abuse.

Awareness campaign

Kidsafe Victoria is proud to support the Victorian Government's Never Leave Kids in Cars awareness campaign. This campaign reminds parents to take their kids with them whenever they get out of the car. Even on mild days, the temperature inside a parked car can be 20–30 degrees hotter than the temperature outside. Find out more about the campaign here.

Prioritising children

UNICEF Australia welcomed the creation of a new dedicated Assistant Minister for Children and Families in the Australian Government in December last year. UNICEF Australia has long advocated for government to prioritise and improve the lives of children by elevating their rights and wellbeing in government policy, decision making and budgeting.

Summer Survey

Take part in the Goodstart Early Learning Summer Survey—a fantastic way for parents to have their say about the challenges involved with accessing early childhood learning. It’s also completely anonymous and will only take a few minutes to complete. The survey is open until 1 February. Click here to take the survey now.

New improvements

The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has made further improvements to the national registers and Starting Blocks. These registers now show when a service changes its approved provider. Read more about the changes here.

Detecting mental illness early

New research from UNSW Sydney suggests that primary school teachers could detect children at high risk of developing mental disorders soon after they start school. For further information, click here.

Cost of education rising

According to the ASG Planning for Education Index, the cost of education has increased by 61 per cent in the past decade, dwarfing the 34 per cent rise in wage growth in the same period. School fees continue to be a major education expense—read more about the data here.


	Invitation to participate in an important research study

	The aim of this research study is to explore the perceptions and experiences of professionals in the early childhood sector regarding ways that professional reading supports them to engage with evidence-based practice to improve learning and development outcomes for young children. Click here to view the Invitation, Plain language statement and Consent form for further information. Please email your signed consent form to the Principal Researcher, Jackie Brien, at jbrien@student.unimelb.edu.au. Upon receipt of your signed consent form, the link to the questionnaire will be emailed to you.


	In state and territory news ...

	Victorian parents returning from summer holidays are being urged to ensure their children are fully immunised before returning to child care and school; the Northern Territory (NT) Labor Government is supporting high-quality bereavement services with $300 000 for Sids and Kids NT; a decision to reduce the value of KidSport vouchers in Western Australia, and remove some club-based organisations from the program altogether, might reduce participation rates of at-risk children and youth; Queensland's Child Safety performance has registered its fifth consecutive quarter of improvement under the Palaszczuk Government; and Melbourne's first vertical public school is set to open in just over two weeks, providing a state-of-the-art primary school for inner city families in Victoria.

New module

'Supporting language development in the early years' explores current theories of language learning and provides practical examples of ways educators can support young children's language development. This module is available for individual purchase at $38.50, or as part of an ECA Learning Hub Annual Subscription.

Join today

Early Learning: Everyone Benefits is a positive national campaign which aims to increase public awareness and understanding of the benefits of investing in early learning. Sign up today to show your support! Also, purchase a copy of the latest issue of Every Child magazine, which discusses the campaign and advocacy.

Rapid Review

Researchers from Swinburne University of Technology conducted a Rapid Review of the KidsMatter Early Childhood Professional Learning Program. The initiative has had a significantly positive impact on educators’ work with children, families and communities. Read a summary of the review here.

Early bird registration

Join us for the ECA National Conference at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Sydney, from 19–22 September 2018. Be the difference for children and families at the 2018 conference! Early bird registration is now available online—register today to secure a spot at the early bird rate!

Save the date!

The 2018 ECA Reconciliation Symposium will be held from 11–12 May 2018 in Fremantle, WA. Registration is now open, with prices from $554 per person. The 2018 event will be led by Catharine Hydon and Jo Goodwin. Explore reconciliation and make a difference within your early years setting. Register today!

Register now to secure your ticket to the 2018 AJEC Research Symposium, to be held from 16–17 February. Don't miss this unique networking opportunity! The symposium will feature 49 presentations, a panel discussion on 'Research and impact', and presentations from three keynote speakers: Helen May, David Ansell and Ann Farrell.

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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 275, January 2018.