The 25th of November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (IDEVW), which also launches UNiTE! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls—an initiative of 16 days of activism concluding on 10 December. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash This campaign, led by the UN Secretary-General and UN Women since […]
All posts by Early Childhood Australia
The key reasons why early learning matters
Early Learning Matters Week is a vital opportunity to celebrate the importance of early learning and the work that early childhood educators do. Universal access to high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) benefits all young children, but it particularly benefits those at risk of poor education achievement. More than 90% of brain development occurs […]
‘Don’t miss out on the exciting future we are creating’: Get involved with Early Learning Matters Week
Early childhood educators, parents, carers and community leaders will gather at services around the country from 17–21 October 2022 to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of early learning and the difference the profession makes. Early Learning Matters Week is a chance to showcase how high-quality, play-based education and care supports young children to […]
The voice of educators: Exhausted but hopeful
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) was invited to participate in the federal government’s Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra from 1–2 September 2022 to represent the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. Ahead of the summit, we surveyed ECA members and the wider early childhood profession to seek people’s perspective on the most significant issues […]
ECA Communities of Practice: A unique learning experience
A Community of Practice (CoP) is best defined as a space for individuals to interact and learn from one another in partnership with an understanding of sharing knowledge. Engaging in a CoP will allow you to not only deepen your knowledge on a subject or topic area, but it will also allow you to network […]
Workforce issues a big concern at ECA’s Federal Election 2022 Candidates Forum
In case you missed all the action from Early Childhood Australia’s Federal Election 2022 Candidates Forum, here is a quick summary to bring you up to speed because #EarlyLearningMatters this election. ECA’s Federal Election 2022 Candidates Forum saw key election candidates responsible for early childhood portfolio engage with the early childhood education and care (ECEC) […]
Creative arts in early childhood
Artistic pursuits such as music, dramatic play and the visual arts contribute to how children understand creativity and develop their own sense of identity. Popular theories in this field suggest that children’s artistic abilities are often underestimated; and that when given opportunities to explore artistic practice and creative thinking, they generally have stronger outcomes in […]
Exploring reconciliation and cultural awareness in early childhood
Kings Creek Station, Northern Territory, Australia – Aug 21, 2019: close up of a Australian Aboriginal bush painting art. Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience tour in Australian outback Employees across Early Childhood Australia (ECA) have been involved in National Reconciliation Week projects connected to ECA’s Reconciliation Action Plan. Our group has developed a survey for early […]
Walking together
Image by David Foster. Courtesy of Australian Geographic, 2016. ECA recently had a conversation with two members of the ECA Reconciliation Action Group, Jo Goodwin and Adam Duncan, to talk about Australia Day and the ongoing work undertaken to help children and early childhood educators understand the many complexities around 26 January. ECA: Jo and […]
Perinatal Mental Health Week
Perinatal Mental Health Week: It’s more common than you think Early childhood educators have an important role in the lives of children, families and communities. Supporting families with mental health issues is complex, and an educator’s role in this sphere is not always well defined. One important way educators can offer support is by forming […]