Early Childhood Australia


View the html version of WebWatch online.

ECA Website ECA Membership

The latest early childhood news!

In this issue, KidsMatter Early Childhood has become Be You; UNICEF's recently released Children’s Report finds that Australia is not making enough progress in policies and programs to support children; and 15 November is your last chance to opt out of My Health Record. In other news, Ngaga-dji (hear me) is a new project from Koorie Youth Council that reflects the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Victoria’s youth justice system; World Children’s Day is coming up on 20 November; International Men’s Day will be celebrated on 19 November; and get involved in Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Awareness (PANDA) Week from 11–17 November. Survey opportunities include: early childhood educator wellbeing; education and school issues; and input on the new Guidelines for the treatment of children and young people in the media from NAPCAN. 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.

What is Be You?

Be You is a single, integrated national initiative to promote mental health from the early years to 18 years. It’s for every Australian educator, from early learning to secondary school, including future educators. Be You is led by Beyond Blue in partnership with Early Childhood Australia and headspace. Learn more about growing Australia’s most mentally healthy generation.

Have your say

The National Organisation for the Protection of Children (NAPCAN) is seeking input on its new Guidelines for the treatment of children and young people in the media. These are guidelines for media that include giving children a voice, as well as making sure reporting has the best interests of children in mind. Have your say in NAPCAN’s survey here.

PANDA Week

Up to one in five expecting or new mothers and one in 10 expecting or new fathers will experience perinatal anxiety or depression. Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Awareness (PANDA) Week was established by PANDA in 2005 to increase awareness and reduce stigma. Click here to get involved in PANDA Week from 11–17 November, and help raise awareness in your own community.

Driving change

Based on the voices of children from around Victoria, Ngaga-dji (hear me), a new project from Koorie Youth Council, reflects the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Victoria’s youth justice system. Ngaga-dji is driving the change needed to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to thrive in their communities. Read more about the project here.

World Children’s Day

World Children’s Day, 20 November, is a day for children, by children. For ideas on taking part and building a world where all children can go to school, be safe from harm and fulfil their potential, click here. In our own region, ECA is a signatory to the #kidsoffnauru campaign to advocate for children not yet free from harm, and not in school. The campaign aims to reach its goal by World Children’s Day. You can join here.

International Men’s Day

International Men’s Day on 19 November is a great opportunity to focus on a healthier future for men and boys, celebrate the men and boys in our communities, highlight the social issues they face, and have some fun! Find positive ways to mark the day at Australian Men’s Health Forum or via the international link here. Also, check out Richard Fletcher’s work on the role of fathers and mental health, here.

Educator wellbeing survey

Are you thriving, or merely surviving at work? Click here to complete Macquarie University’s short survey on early childhood educator wellbeing. By completing this survey, you can also go into the draw to win one of four $50 MYER gift cards.

Update on My Health Record

Every Australian will have a digital health record created in 2018. It is one way families can track and control access to their health information, including children’s immunisation. Learn more here. You have until 15 November to opt out. Cancel your own or your child’s record anytime, here.

Education and school issues

Have your say on education and school issues! The findings of this survey will help the Australian Parents Council advocate for parents across the political landscape. Click here to access the survey today.


	More progress needed

	The UNICEF Children’s Report released on 1 November finds that Australia is not making enough progress in policies and programs to support children. The two key early education recommendations are: that the government ensures universal access to early childhood education and care for all three- and four-year-old children in Australia; and that all children have at least two full days (22.5 hours) of subsidised quality early childhood education and care per week. Click here to read the full report.


	In state and territory news ...

	In Western Australia, registrations are now open for the 2018 Annual State HPE Conference to be held from 26–28 November. Streams will focus on Health Education, Physical Education, Outdoors Education, Phys Ed Studies, Health Studies and Sport Development; Queensland’s annual Kids in Care Christmas gift donation drive has kicked off aiming to make sure every child in care has an extra Christmas gift under the tree this year; the Morrison Government will provide $18.3 million throughout 2018 and 2019 to the Australian Capital Territory after it became the second jurisdiction to sign up for the National Partnership Agreement on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education; the Tasmanian Government is investing funds over the next four years to employ up to 25 additional Child Safety Officers; mobile tablet devices are being distributed to frontline child protection workers in the Northern Territory to help them make more informed decisions in the field, and access essential programs and systems; and the Anti-Bullying Strategy 2018 Conference was held in Sydney, New South Wales, and was an Australian-first conference that put parents, students and teachers in the same room as the experts.

How do you
use data?

It can be hard to interpret research data into your practice, but it’s an essential part of programming and planning. Dr Jessie Jovanovic presents this highly practical webinar on how to read and interpret data through the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), and what insights the data can provide to your programming and practice. Learn more about it here.

Impact of stress on wellbeing

Educators can help families understand the impact of stress on children’s wellbeing. Read how Canadian expert, Dr Stuart Shanker teaches adults how to help children ‘Self-regulate’ their emotions. And, join our campaign to increase community understanding of how support for children’s development in the early years helps children, families and communities to thrive.

Welcome

KidsMatter has become Be You! Be You builds on ECA’s 10 years of working with Beyond Blue to deliver KidsMatter Early Childhood. Be You is the Federal Government’s renewed and expanded investment in children’s mental health and wellbeing, covering the early years up to 18 years. If you’re already participating in KidsMatter, you will transition seamlessly. Visit the Be You website.