Early Childhood Australia


View the html version of WebWatch online.

ECA Website ECA Membership

The latest early childhood news!

In this issue: now is your last chance to book tickets to the 2018 ECA National Conference; the 2019 AJEC Research Symposium call for papers is open; and ECA welcomes Minister Dan Tehan MP to the Education portfolio. In other news, ECA is proud to be selected to deliver a new program for educators: Early Signals. First Responses; don't forget to say thank you to the fathers (or father figures) in your life this Sunday for Father's Day; a new personal safety app is now available; and ECA presents a unique leadership masterclass by Leanne Gibbs, on Wednesday 19 September at ICC Sydney. Around the country, National Child Protection Week begins this weekend—it's not too late to get involved; celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day on 5 September; and the 2019 World Forum on Early Care and Education will be held from 8–11 April. Stay up-to-date with safe sleep and rest practices through ACECQA's policies and procedures; and find more information about the new Child Care Package through the Department of Education and Training. 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.

Welcome Minister Tehan

ECA welcomes Minister Dan Tehan MP to the Education portfolio. Minister Tehan replaces Simon Birmingham in Prime Minister Scott Morrison's new Cabinet line-up. Minister Tehan is the Liberal Member for Wannon in western Victoria. His mother, Marie Tehan, was Victorian MP. Click here to learn more about the new Education Minister.

First Responses

ECA is proud to be selected to deliver a new program for educators: Early Signals. First Responses. Funded by the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Innovation Fund, this program will resource and support early childhood educators and carers to better recognise and respond to young children who have been exposed to or experienced family violence.

2019 World Forum

Join the World Forum Foundation (WFF) in Macao, China, from 8–11 April for the 2019 World Forum on Early Care and Education! Immerse yourself in the unique World Forum experience by connecting with more than 800 delegates from 75 countries. Visit the WFF website to learn more.

Personal safety app

A new personal safety app is now available! THREAD was developed by The Carly Ryan Foundation, and provides an immediate connection between a user's location, trusted contacts and emergency services. The app is recommended for children from eight years and over. Click here to learn more.

National Child Protection

National Child Protection Week begins this weekend! Running from 2–8 September, this important week is an opportunity for everyone in the community to think about how we can work together to keep all children safe. Play your part in creating safe and nurturing environments for all Australian children! Click here to get involved today.

Safe sleep practices

Sleep and rest requirements for children are readily discussed issues, often with a number of perspectives coming into play. The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) provides a number of policies and procedures about sleep and rest, which must be in place at all children's education and care services. Find out more here.

Happy Father's Day!

This Sunday 2 September, don't forget to say thank you to the fathers (or father figures) in your life. Click here to learn about the importance of fathers and a child's first 1000 days of life. Celebrate Father's Day this weekend!

Child Care Package resources

The Department of Education and Training has made available a range of information resources, including videos, presentations and factsheets, to assist providers in understanding the details of the new Child Care Package. Click here to access these resources.

Indigenous Literacy Day

Indigenous Literacy Day on 5 September is a national celebration of Indigenous culture, stories, language and literacy. Australia is encouraged to raise funds and advocate for more equal access to literacy resources for remote communities. Click here to donate or get involved!


	A unique leadership masterclass

	ECA presents a unique leadership masterclass by Leanne Gibbs, on Wednesday 19 September at ICC Sydney! What does leadership look like in your team? Is it a collaborative approach that creates a cohesive and effective team? Effective leaders achieve goals and optimise outcomes by being a positive influence on themselves, on others and on their organisations. This interactive masterclass will assist you to understand how and why good leadership leads to good practice. Click here to take the next step to being a better leader!


	In state and territory news ...

	In New South Wales, a Spring Picnic Family Day is planned for 9 September at Globe Wilkins Preschool Marrickville; a child advocacy centre in Midland, Western Australia, is set to help thousands of children and families experiencing trauma after receiving $4.5 million in State Government funding; in Queensland, an estimated 200 000 parents and carers have upgraded their parenting skills thanks to the Palaszczuk Government's support of the Triple P—Positive Parenting Program; in South Australia, the finalists have been named in the 2018 Public Education Awards; thanks to new funding, Hume families in Victoria will have access to more kindergarten places next year; in Tasmania, congratulations have been extended to the 36 finalists announced for the Together We Inspire Awards 2018; and starting this year, WA Health has allocated $1.56 million for a three-year program to improve screening rates for family and domestic violence during pregnancy.

Emotion coaching

Beth Macgregor's webinar, 'Emotion coaching: A transformational tool' explores the five steps of emotion coaching: emotional awareness, connecting, listening, naming emotions and finding good solutions. Emotion coaching can be used by professionals working with young children to build trusting and respectful relationships. Learn more here.

Thank you!

Almost 70 Federal politicians visited services in all states and the ACT in the campaign's first ever, national Early Learning Matters Week, held from 5–12 August. Educators shared inspiring photos of early learning activities, which was a great way to promote the importance and value of the work of early childhood educators. Read the full report with links to photos here.

Webinars to come

There is still time to reconnect or start the KidsMatter journey with the last webinar in our current series: 'Self-regulation—why is it important for everyone?' Missed the other webinars? Watch the on-demand recordings in your own time and stay tuned for news of more webinars to come! Don't forget to check out our other professional learning online events too.

New blogs!

See the latest blogs from The Spoke: 2018 ECA National Conference International keynote speaker, Dr Cindy Blackstock, discusses moral courage and early childhood educators; learn why children lie and whether we should worry; and for Father's Day, read about father involvement and why it is crucial during a child's first 1000 days.

Call for papers

The call for papers is now open for the 2019 AJEC Research Symposium! The symposium will be held in Melbourne from 14–15 February 2019, in partnership with the Australian Catholic University and La Trobe University. Now in its second year, the 2019 event is sure to be another success. Submit an abstract today!

Last chance!

Now is your last chance to secure your spot for the 2018 ECA National Conference! This event recognises the impact of high-quality early education and the importance of investing in ongoing professional development. Attend the conference from 19–22 September at ICC Sydney and Be the difference for children and families. Click here to book now!

Become an ECA Member today: Learn more

Subscribe to ECA publications today: Learn more

www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au
webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au

You are receiving this because you are a current subscriber.
Subscribe to our list | Unsubscribe from this list

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 291, August 2018.