We have just celebrated National Children’s Week, a yearly acknowledgement of the importance of child rights in Australia. 2015 was a particularly auspicious year, as it marked 25 years since the creation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The theme was “Children’s Rights are Human Rights”. This critical document […]
The concept of needs is no longer part of the early childhood discourse. The EYLF (Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009) focuses on a strengths-based perspective, positioning children as active participants who are entitled to respect and agency. In the latest Every Child Julie Rutups (2015) argued that in building on children’s strengths […]
On June 5 British toy manufacturer Makies announced cochlear implants were available to buy as accessories in their toy store. Makies uses 3D printing technology to make one-of-a-kind dolls. It was the first company to respond to #ToyLikeMe, a social media campaign to “increase diversity in the toybox” initiated by three UK mothers with disabilities. […]
In a piece in The Conversation, Bernadette Saunders described positive discipline. Parents who practise positive discipline or gentle parenting use neither rewards nor punishments to encourage their children to behave. By “no rewards” I mean they don’t use charts or “bribes” such as lollies or toys. Many don’t even say “good girl/boy” or “good job”. […]
We all have a role in supporting and advocating for the rights of children, writes Megan Mitchell. It’s now 25 years after Australia signed on to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which provides universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations about the treatment of all children. The Treaty is more than […]
On 31 March 2015, Australia’s first National Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell, and Early Childhood Australia’s CEO, Sam Page, will jointly launch a statement of intent on supporting young children’s rights. This collaboratively developed document provides all professionals and services working with young children with a framework to be a clear and credible voice advocating in […]
Watching a segment on ABC’s 7:30 Report on Tuesday night (September 30), I waited in vain to hear someone talk about the importance and cost of quality. The messages were only about the shortage and cost of ‘child care’ places as impediments to women re-entering the workforce and the damaging effect on the nation’s economy. […]
