Early Childhood Australia


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The latest early childhood news!

In this issue, the ECA National Conference Program at a Glance is now available; AITSL invites you to have your say on teacher professional learning through a short survey; and get involved in National Reconciliation Week 2018 from 27 May to 3 June. In other news, the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is offering a series of forums for educators to join together and discuss the revised National Quality Standard; the second phase of the 'Elders as Storytellers' campaign has been launched in Queensland; and SNAICC welcomes the announcement of a three-month 'checkpoint' for Budget Based Funding services transitioning to the new Child Care Package in July. New resources, articles and publications include: a gender lens on the Federal Budget 2018, which has been put together by the National Foundation for Australian Women; a new article from the Australian Institute of Family Studies summarises new research on the costs of children; and new extension packs for the ACECQA Quest for Quality knowledge game are now available. Around the country, it's currently Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month; SNAICC is piloting family violence workshops in Melbourne and Lismore; and apply now for the Anti-Bias Award. 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.

Reconciliation Week 2018

National Reconciliation Week from 27 May to 3 June is a time for all Australians to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, to share that knowledge and help us grow as a nation. There are a number of ways to get involved, including gathering to share food; having a yarn; participating in local community events; or conducting an Acknowledgement of Country. Find out more here.

Have your say!

AITSL invites you to have your say on teacher professional learning through a short survey. This is an opportunity for teachers in the early education and care sector to share their professional learning experiences and the impact on their practice. The survey will be open until Friday 1 June 2018. AITSL will use the survey findings to support teachers to select, undertake, apply and evaluate high-quality professional learning.

Impacts on women

A gender lens on the Federal Budget 2018, put together by the National Foundation for Australian Women, gives a detailed analysis of the Budget impacts on women. It calls for an amendment to the government's Child Care Package and recommends that universal access to early childhood education becomes integral to school funding. Click here to learn more.

Family violence workshops

SNAICC—National Voice for our Children is piloting family violence workshops in Melbourne and Lismore during May and June. These workshops are aimed at practitioners supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, women, children and young people in a family violence context. Click here for more details or to register today.

The costs of children

A new article from the Australian Institute of Family Studies summarises new research on the costs of children. It discusses different approaches to estimating costs, summarises different household types, and presents current estimates for low-paid and unemployed couples with and without children. Read the full article here.

Quest for Quality

Building on ACECQA's Quest for Quality knowledge game, new extension packs are now available to explore concepts such as inclusion, environmental sustainability and the National 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. They have been designed to integrate an element of fun into understanding the National Quality Standard, professional discussions and critical reflection.

Preventing family violence

Held annually during May, Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month aims to raise community awareness of the social and personal impacts of domestic and family violence and the support available to those affected. Click here for more information, or access useful resources here.

Elders as Storytellers

The second phase of the 'Elders as Storytellers' campaign has been launched in Queensland. This second phase is unique, with Elders from Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Australian South Sea Islander communities all working together to highlight the benefits of kindergarten participation.

The Anti-Bias Award

The Anti-Bias Award encourages educators and teachers from across the field of early childhood to reignite and re-engage with anti-bias approaches. This award recognises educators for their pedagogical leadership in making anti-bias practices central to everyday practice. Applications close 5.00 pm, 15 June 2018.


	Crucial 'checkpoint'

	Long-held concerns have been expressed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early years services about the possible impacts of the roll out of the government's new Child Care Package in July. Minister Birmingham has announced an important three-month 'checkpoint' for Budget Based Funding services transitioning to the new model. This will be a crucial opportunity to assess service viability and the need for further top-up funding.


	NQS forums

	Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), in partnership with NSW/ACT Inclusion Agency and Inclusion Support QLD, is offering a series of forums for educators to join together and discuss the revised National Quality Standard (NQS), and what it means for inclusion in your service. Forums will be held across NSW, ACT and Queensland from May through to August, with guest speaker Rhonda Livingstone.


	In state and territory news ...

	The Victorian Labor Government is investing in specialist teacher training, with 360 government-funded scholarships available for Victorian teachers to undertake a Master of Education specialising in inclusive and special education; in New South Wales (NSW) a new $4.7 million early childhood education and care facility at TAFE NSW St Leonards will help deliver the expected requirement of child care and child education workers over the next three years; the Western Australia (WA) State Government will provide additional financial aid to continue funding accommodation support to 64 community neighbourhood centres and childcare centres across WA; the Palaszczuk Government has committed almost $600 000 to support vulnerable families in the Nambour, Palmwoods and Eumundi–Yandina areas in Queensland; the new Centre for Innovation and Learning at Caroline Chisholm School has been opened in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), with the facility supporting ACT students to develop STEM skills for the future; an additional $1.2 million in funding has been announced for Aquatics and Recreation Victoria to continue running the VICSWIM Summer Kidz Program for the next three years; and consultation is underway to develop a strategy aimed at improving the delivery of public music education in early childhood services and schools across South Australia.

Reconciliation in Action

National Reconciliation Week 2018 begins this weekend, and the ECA Learning Hub is marking this important event by offering the Reconciliation in Action (Part 1 and Part 2) modules for free, for a limited time. Simply use the promotional code 'reconciliationweek' at checkout. Shop now.

Join today!

Australian families cover a higher proportion of the costs of early learning than families in other countries—find out here why this has to change. Click here to share the infographic, and join the Early Learning: Everyone Benefits campaign to ensure all Australian children can access quality early learning.

Did you miss out?

Did you miss our first two webinars? No need to worry, you can watch the webinars 'Educator wellbeing—yours, mine and ours', and 'Becoming social—learning how' now by clicking on the titles. Never miss another webinar again and book your ticket for the whole series today.

Early Childhood Australia Reconciliation Symposium

The ECA Leadership Program has been founded on solid expert research and years of sector consultation. The program was specifically created as a strengths-based, self-directed, short-term program for both current and aspiring early childhood leaders in diverse settings. Join the growing number of program participants today—sign up here!

Professional learning resources

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!

New program

The 2018 ECA National Conference Program at a Glance is available now! View the program here and register today for this highly anticipated event. Early bird registration closes 30 June 2018—don't miss out! Be the difference for children and families at the International Convention Centre Sydney from 19–22 September 2018.

Become an ECA Member today: Learn more

Subscribe to ECA publications today: Learn more

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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 284, May 2018.