Early Childhood Australia


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The latest early childhood news!

In this issue, register today for the ECA National Conference and ECA Reconciliation Symposium; now is your last 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 can now calculate their new child care and early learning subsidies through the re-launched online estimator; and with students participating in NAPLAN next month, it's important to keep it in perspective, and simply encourage children to do the best they can. Around the country, the $2.4 million equipment stream of the Inclusive Kindergartens Facilities Program has now been launched in Victoria; a new program, Ninganah No More, has been developed to support Aboriginal languages to be taught in early childhood services in New South Wales; and it's World Immunisation Week from 24–30 April. New resources and reports include: the final report of the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education; the first ever research report from Foodbank on the prevalence of child hunger in Australia; and the Early Education Kit from SNAICC—National Voice for our Children. 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.

Ninganah No More

The New South Wales Government is focusing on the importance of Aboriginal culture and heritage, with a new program developed to support Aboriginal languages to be taught in early childhood services. Ninganah No More will provide opportunities for Aboriginal culture and identity to be developed and nurtured in the earliest stage of formal education.

Remember to switch!

The Turnbull Government has re-launched its online estimator, with updated Consumer Price Index figures—Australian families can now calculate their new child care and early learning subsidies. It is hoped that the estimator will remind families to update their details to switch over to the new child care and early learning system, which starts on 2 July.

Inclusive kinders

The second round of the $2.4 million equipment stream of the Inclusive Kindergartens Facilities Program in Victoria has been launched. Local governments, not-for-profit service providers and schools are encouraged to apply for grants to make their early years facilities more accessible for children of all abilities. Up to $10 000 is available to buy inclusive education equipment.

World Immunisation Week

From 24–30 April it's World Immunisation Week, which presents an opportunity to refocus our attention on ensuring all Australian children are safe from preventable diseases by having them immunised. This year's theme, 'Protected Together, #VaccinesWork', encourages everyone to make a greater effort to increase immunisation coverage to protect Australia's children.

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.

Keep it in perspective

In May this year, more than one million students from Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will participate in NAPLAN—an assessment of their literacy and numeracy skills. Some children may be feeling anxious, so it's important for the adults in students' lives to help explain what NAPLAN is all about and keep it in perspective—simply encourage them to do the best they can and treat the test day as any other school day.

Regional, rural and remote education

The Coalition Government has released the final report of the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education, led by Emeritus Professor Dr John Halsey. The report is on an extensive review to guide efforts to overcome the educational divide between capital cities and regional and rural areas.

Rumbling Tummies

Foodbank has released its first ever research report on the prevalence of child hunger in Australia. Rumbling Tummies found that more than one in five children in Australia have experienced food insecurity in the last year. Click here to read more.

ECA Awards—closing soon!

Now is your last chance to nominate, invite or apply for the Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Awards. These awards are highly regarded across the early childhood sector, and recognise the valuable role that professional educators play in promoting and enhancing early years learning. Applications close Monday 30 April—don't miss out!


	Early Education Kit

	SNAICC—National Voice for our Children has developed an engaging resource package, designed to educate, promote greater understanding and to encourage best-practice when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. The Early Childhood Kit includes six resources that will assist educators to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families with their transition to school and understanding their cultural needs.


	In state and territory news ...

	In Victoria, Highton families will have access to more kinder places and Maternal and Child Health services, with work set to begin on the Highton Early Learning Centre; in a first for South Australian public health policy, the Marshall Liberal Government will provide free flu vaccinations for all children under the age of five; in Queensland, children in Aurukun, Cairns and Herberton will work with local artists in their schools on projects designed to boost creativity and education outcomes; a new Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) syllabus from Kindergarten to Year 10 has been released in New South Wales (NSW), and will take affect from next year; thanks to a funding boost from the Andrews Labor Government, Victoria will be provided with more kinder places, new and upgraded kinders and new language programs; families in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, are benefiting from the community-based Connected Beginnings program, which connects health care, early childhood education and family support services to give local children the best possible start in life.

New packages

Are you interested in a number of courses on a particular topic? The ECA Learning Hub now offers Professional Learning Packages, which provide collections of five webinars and/or modules on various topics, priced at $154 per package. Each course contains at least two NESA endorsed courses. Find out more here!

Start reading!

It's never too early to start reading to children! Five tips to help you make the most of reading to your children, by a team of education lecturers, is written to assist parents in setting up regular reading experiences for their children at home.
Join our campaign to get practical updates for families and educators about the benefits of early learning.

Keep growing healthy minds

Our Shared Thinking Blog is updated weekly, with useful tips, positive stories and everything you need to keep KidsMatter thriving at your place. Blogs include: Get ready, get set ...Yarn Up; Risk and protective factors for children's mental health; and Play builds resilience. Subscribe 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.

Children's cues

'Infants and young children cannot always tell us that they are upset or explain what is worrying them. So it helps to know about the way they send messages, or their cues ... Changes in behaviour are often the first signal indicating that there is something worrying a child.' Click here to continue reading Young children's reactions to stress, by Pam Linke.

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!

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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 282, April 2018.