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Early Childhood Australia WebWatch
 

The latest early childhood news!
 

In this issue, register today for the ECA National Conference and ECA Reconciliation Symposium; now is your chance to nominate, invite or apply for the ECA Awards; and apply for a travel subsidy to the ECA Reconciliation Symposium today! In other news, Australian families are being urged to sign on and start their changeover to the new child care and early learning system; there has been a strong focus on whether there is enough play in WA preschools; and the search has begun for the 2018–19 UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador Program. New resources include: the third edition of the National guide to a preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; a research report titled Stay-at-home fathers in Australia; and ECA’s Discussion Paper towards a Statement on young children and digital technology is now open for consultation. Around the country, National Youth Week 2018 will run from 13–22 April; and you can nominate an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander female leader to be included in the first Because of Her, We Can e-book. 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.


 
 

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Apply for a travel subsidy!
 
What do the above educators have that you don't? They applied for a travel subsidy and attended an ECA Reconciliation Symposium! Why don't you apply today? State and Commonwealth departments have generously sponsored travel subsidies. All service types are welcome to apply. The ECA Reconciliation Symposium is an important early childhood event. Be part of the change Australia is making. Click here for details.
 

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Young Ambassadors
 
The search has begun for the 2018–19 UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador Program. This program provides successful applicants with an opportunity to speak up for children's rights, and to develop as advocates at local, national and international levels. The Young Ambassador positions are voluntary, and are open to young people aged between 15 and 24 years, from every state and territory in Australia.
 

 

Make the switch today
 
From 2 July 2018, the child care fee assistance that families currently receive will change. Australian families are being urged to sign on and start their changeover to the new child care and early learning system. The online transition portal is now live. The government encourages all families currently receiving subsidies for child care and early learning to make the switch and transition to the new system today. Find out more here.
 

 

Stay-at-home fathers
 
A new research report, Stay-at-home fathers in Australia, has been released by the Australian Institute of Family Studies. The research is intended to provide an account of stay-at-home fathering in Australia, to build a statistical profile of how families of stay-at-home fathers differ to others. The report also seeks to address the lack of evidence on the prevalence of stay-at-home fathers in Australia. Read the full report here.
 

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Digital technology
 
ECA's Discussion Paper towards a Statement on young children and digital technology has been released and is open for consultation until Wednesday 24 April 2018. ECA welcomes feedback on this discussion paper. Feedback will be considered by the ECA Digital Policy Group in May. Click here to view the ECA Discussion Paper.
 

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Updated guide
 
The latest guide for health professionals working to close the gap in health equality for Indigenous Australians has been released. The updated third edition of the National guide to a preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aims to support broader social change to help individuals and families to improve their wellbeing.
 

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National Youth Week
 
What began as a NSW Government initiative has since grown into a national celebration of young people in every state and territory. National Youth Week 2018 will run from 13–22 April, and is organised by young people, for young people. To get involved, visit the National Youth Week events calendar in your state or territory. 
 

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Is there enough play in WA preschool?
 
There was a strong focus in recent media on the need for age-appropriate pedagogies and play-based learning in school-based preschool in WA. Articles included: Teachers distressed by 'demise' of play-based learning in era of NAPLAN testing; and The demise of play-based learning and why parents and educators are worried.
 

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ECA Awards
 
The Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Awards are highly regarded across the early childhood education and care sector. They recognise the valuable role that professional educators play in promoting and enhancing early years learning. Click here to find out how you can nominate, invite or apply for an award
 

 

Nominate a leader today!

 

Nominate an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander female leader to be included in the first Because of Her, We Can e-book. Funded by the Queensland Government, this e-book aims to celebrate female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and to amplify their stories on a national scale. Applications close Wednesday 18 April. Click here to find out more.

 
 
AJEC 1604 available now
 
 

In state and territory news ...
 

The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to continuing to improve education in Tasmania by aiming to employ 250 additional teachers over the next six years; in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, the Minister for Early Childhood Education and Aboriginal Affairs, Sarah Mitchell, has announced the expansion of the Ngroo Walking Together program; nominations are now open for the Victorian Protecting Children Awards, with all Victorian child protection workers, foster or kinship carers eligible; Queensland's child safety system is continuing to improve, with the latest quarterly data showing significant improvements in a number of key areas; and Tasmanian children under the age of five will be eligible for a free flu vaccination this year.

 
Early Childhood Australia Learning Hub
 

Coming soon
 
The ECA Learning Hub has several exciting releases coming up, including the much-anticipated sequel to 'Documenting and assessing children's learning'. 'Documenting and assessing children's learning Part 2' looks at two unique approaches to documentation—coming soon to the ECA Learning Hub!
 

KidsMatter Early Childhood
 

Nature play
 
For Nature Play Week (11–22 April), read the latest blog post from the Early Learning: Everyone Benefits campaign, Ten benefits of playing in nature, and share with colleagues and families. Join the campaign today to increase community understanding of the benefits of early learning.
 

KidsMatter Early Childhood
 

Survey tools
 
KidsMatter surveys can start conversations about mental health and wellbeing, and can help you make decisions about the focus of your professional learning. They can also identify areas for development and improvement for promoting children's mental health and wellbeing. Access the KidsMatter survey tools today!
 

Early Childhood Australia Reconciliation Symposium
 

Register now!
 
The 2018 ECA Reconciliation Symposium will be held from 11–12 May 2018 in Fremantle, WA. Prices start from $554 per person—register today! An exciting program is on offer and includes a variety of keynote speakers and panellists. Click here to view the online program. Explore reconciliation and start making a difference.
 

Start Early
 

Subscribe to ECA today!
 
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! 
 

ECA 2018 conference
 

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

 
To view upcoming early childhood events and professional development opportunities, click here to visit the ECA events page.
 
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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 281, April 2018.
© Early Childhood Australia 2018 - All rights reserved