Investment in early childhood is the most valuable investment a society can make.

 

We now have a different Prime Minister. One who is obviously a proud father, whose wife has years of experience as a director of a community based occasional care centre, and one who is committed to red tape reduction, including the so called red tape in our sector contained in the National Quality Framework. 

So what lies ahead? 

A New Minister

We will not know who will be the Minister responsible for early education/childcare until later on in the week.

A Productivity Commission Review

In a 'Letter to the People of Australia' published in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday, Prime Minister Abbott listed this as his third priority after removing the carbon tax and 'stopping the boats'. He said "improving access to child care is both a social and economic imperative." The Productivity Commission is to review and report by September 7, 2014.

Our sector needs to become familiar with the proposed terms of reference for the Review and consider ways to ensure we deliver consistent messages to the Review. 

• Read the Terms of Reference here.

This information is thanks to Shortside, the newsletter of Community Child Care Co-operative - a not-for-profit organisation established in 1978 to promote, support and advocate for early education and care services.

If you would like to receive the Shortside newsletter you can subscribe here.

Affordable, high-quality Early Childhood Education and Care

What countries have free early childhood education and care?

In a majority of OECD* countries,

at least one year of ECE is offered for free.

 

 

 Many countries have started to offer free Early Childhood Education services to certain age groups, usually one or two years before the start of compulsory schooling. For example, the Netherlands provides free ECE for 4 and 5 year-olds, and in England and Scotland it is free for 3- and 4-year-olds. Some countries have extended this right to cover younger children as well: France, Israel, Mexico, Portugal and Sweden provide free ECEC or ECE to all 3 to 6-year-olds.

 

Early childhood education (ECE) covers all forms of organised and sustained centre-based activities – such as pre‑schools, kindergartens and day-care centres – designed to foster learning and emotional and social development in children. These programmes are generally offered to children from the age of three.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) encompasses all forms of ECE and ECC services under an integrated system, which provides integrated pedagogical settings covering age zero or one to compulsory schooling age.

 

from Education Indicators in Focus from OECD (pdf)

 

See Facts and Figures about Early Childhood Education in Australia

* OECD countries are countries in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Counties include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, France, Japan, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.

 

 

Childcare in Australia: help with choosing childcare

Whether you choose a nanny, an au pair, an in-home carer, family day care, long day care centre, a pre-school, or a nanny share arrangement the priority is to ensure your child receives quality, professional child care which meets their needs and helps you meet yours.

All of the child care options available have pros and cons and to help you weigh them up against your family's requirements Care for Kids has a useful table that summarises some of the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular types of care. Vist this page to see the table.

Parents say it's becoming unaffordable for them to remain in the workforce

"The overwhelming statements from parents in our surveys are that it's becoming unaffordable for them to remain in the workforce." said Australian Childcare Alliance president Gwynn Bridge.  

Ms Kate Ellis, the Minister for Early Childhood, Childcare and Youth, released a government report stating that the number of children in childcare in Australia had increased by one-third since Labor was elected.  

Gwynn Bridge,  Australian Childcare Alliance president , said the report was misleading because it double-counted children who attended multiple services. Kate Ellis is "stating that there are more children in childcare than ever but that could be one child doing after-school care, before-school care and vacation care," Ms Bridge said.
"We are now in election mode. ACA has already done considerable work with all politicians to ensure that families and affordability in early education and care are on the agenda. It is time for Ministers to stop stating that education and care is more affordable than ever and to listen to the voices of families who are being hit in their hip pocket." ACA Facebook page.

You may be interested in a previous post and discussion here about facts and figures in early childhood and  how Australia ranks extremely low, worldwide, on expenditure on early childhood educational institutions by both the public and private sector.

The Australian Childcare Alliance is the national association specifically for long day care services. ACA provides support, information and advice to keep members abreast of current research and information on government funding to families.

Read the story at THE AUSTRALIAN.

Long Day Care Services can apply for the Early Years Quality Fund from today

The Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care, Kate Ellis announced that long day care services can apply for funding under the Early Years Quality Fund.

Get info here.

PLEASE NOTE: THE FUNDING IS BEING DISTRIBUTED ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS!

Thanks to Community Child Care Co-operative NSW for this reminder.

Facts and Figures about Early Childhood Education in Australia

I would love to start a discussion here about what you think about these current facts and figures coming from the OECD's Education at a Glance 2013 report. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report says only 13 per cent of Australian three-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood education programs, compared with the OECD average of 67 per cent.
There are many other facts:

Early Childhood Australia (ECA) service practice and training videos

Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has developed a collection of 12 mini videos that they call vignettes, and accompanying notes to be used to promote discussion and critical reflection among educators. 
The vignettes have been chosen to illustrate experiences occuring in early childhood settings that relate directly to ideas in the EYLF and the NQS. They have not been chosen to depict excellent practice but rather to provoke discussion and to support ‘a lively culture of professional inquiry’. This is a very important point—the aim is not to criticise, on the one hand, what the vignettes depict, or to see them as identifying ‘how things should be done’. 
The focus for discussion is on what and how children are learning and educators’ roles and contribution to
the learning.

Read more about this in their excellent information sheet.
View a summary of the 12 vignettes

Do you know these videos?
Have you used them in your meetings?

How we learn

Calendar of early childhood conferences and events

Do  you know what is coming up in early childhood for the rest of this year and into 2014?
Here is a great place where you can get  the calendar of early childhood conferences and events. It is easy to read and colour coded by state. 
For example coming up in June is the Queensland Early Childhood Teacher's Annual Conference.

If you would like to receive up-to-date calendar entries as well as the latest early childhood news, subscribe to WebWatch

New Working With Children Check in NSW

One-hour, free information sessions about the new Working With Children Check are held regularly at the Commission for Children and Young People in Surry Hills (100m from Central Station) as well as at Sydney suburban and regional locations. Find out the what, when, how and why of the new check ... and have your questions answered.

Current sessions are listed here

Re other states and the Northern Territory
There is no single national framework setting out the requirements for obtaining Working With Children Checks or Police Checks. Each state and territory has their own procedures and it is necessary to fulfil the requirements in the jurisdiction in which you are working. You can see the state and territory screening program at Australian Institute of Family Studies government site.

Department of Education and Communities wants to hear the views of service providers

State Funding Forum: Hear Department of Education and Communities proposed 2014 changes and give them feedback.

• When: Tuesday 11 June 2013
• Time: 5pm - 7pm
• Where: Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn St Sydney

The forum is free but bookings essential.

The forum will also be live streamed on the internet to enable participants from outside of Sydney to participate.

Get full details at Community Child Care Co-operative

Top Ten signs that you are an early childhood educator

 1. You find yourself singing "The Wheels of the Bus' in the shower.

 2. Everytime you turn around someone tells you that you have a piece of glitter on your face. (Especially bad if you are a male early childhood teacher like Richard or Greg!)

See all 10 signs in this Richard Cohen video.

Rattler AUTUMN edition — Out NOW

Rattler is the official publication of the Community Child Care Co-operative of NSW.
It is a quarterly publication with articles about social, economic, educational and political issues that affect the child care industry.

The latest issue Autumn Rattler has a focus on children’s rights and details about new Community Child Care campaigns for 2013. See contents of the issue.

Become a member to access all issues of Rattler, 

or purchase this issue for $10 from the online shop.

Federal Budget for families: May 2013

Just a few facts about the recently announced Australian Federal Budget:

• Scrapping the Baby Bonus from March 1, 2014
• Scrapping an increase to the Family Tax Benefit Part A
• Family Tax Benefit A recipients will get payment boost of $2000 for first child and $1000 for subsequent children, to be paid in instalments
• The childcare rebate will continue to be capped at a total of $7500 per year for the next four years
• $1.1billion to be spent in early childhood education

Have you had a chance to consider how it will affect families or more specifically your family?

Everything You Need To Know To Be A Good Teaching Assistant

Being a teaching assistant can sometimes be difficult. You need to be able to support a teacher in a range of different ways, from providing individual help to children with special educational needs, through to being able to step in and lead a lesson if needed. In this way, a teaching assistant is expected to cover a range of different duties, and has to be flexible and ready to work as part of a team. The diversity of the role is underpinned by a number of qualification requirements, as well as a willingness to work in full time, part time and temporary roles.

1 - Education and Qualification

Teaching assistants can come from a range of backgrounds. While they are generally expected to be 18 and over, they don’t require the same degree level education and PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) skill set as full time teachers. Teaching assistants can also be part time, and can return to the job after a significant period out of it. A general education is, however, recommended, as is the ability to pass basic numeracy, literacy and information skill tests. Induction programmes for teaching assistants are also available, as are BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) and Diplomas for more advanced roles.

A Higher Level Teaching Assistant can step in and teach lessons if needed. Other teaching assistants can improve their employability and skill sets by completing CSCHE Level 2 Certificates for Teaching Assistants, as well as NVQs in Early Year care and Education. Level 2 City and Guild qualifications in Support Work and Skills, and Level 3 Diplomas in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning are also available. Any prospective teaching assistant should sign up for an agency, and should expect to receive a Criminal Records check.

2 - Expected Tasks

Teaching assistants can expect to support classroom activities by helping children with completing tasks, as well as focusing on particular needs for literacy and numeracy. They may also need to work in a special needs environment, whereby they will provide additional tutoring or classroom management. In primary schools, a teaching assistant may have to help out with stories and activities, while working as part of a team for school trips and sports days.

3 - Preparation and Skills

If working as part of a specific subject or task, a teaching assistant can make their role more productive by developing a portfolio of lesson plans, and media examples for students to use. These examples can range from everything from magazine cuttings to video clips and online sources. A good teaching assistant should also acquaint themselves with classroom management skills, while also knowing how to deal with any difficult students and abuse.

4 - Team Work

Teaching assistants need to be able to follow a lead teacher’s direction without feeling like they are being given the less attractive jobs, such as dealing with difficult children. Work can be time consuming and quite stressful, so it is important that a clear relationship is established within a set of teachers over what roles are realistically expected to be completed. 

Teaching assistants also need to understand the chain of command within a school, and need to know who they speak to about any problems. Perhaps most importantly, a good teaching assistant is one that does n’t get take advantage of with extra tasks.

5 - Rewards

As with any teaching role, an assistant can benefit from extended school holidays, as well as the ability to get to know and help children on a one to one basis. The need for teaching assistants to help special needs and individual children’s skills can also provide significant job satisfaction. Remuneration typically falls within the £10,000-15,000 category, with options for further qualifications to be able to lead lessons.

Author Bio

Emily Steves is a secondary school teacher.  She found her current post via London teacher agency GSL Education, and enjoys inspiring young minds, and the challenges her job presents.  In her spare time Emily can be found blogging about her experiences and what they have taught her.

Digging Deeper: Looking Beyond Behavior to Discover Meaning

This is a great free resource for families and teachers of very young children.

It is a unit of three online lessons that explore the Responsive Process—Watch;  Ask 'I Wonder' Questions;  and Adapt: Using 'Flexible Responses'  to the behaviors of very young children. Program staff, education coordinators, trainers, and parents will find it useful to build or refresh their observation skills and responses to children’s behaviors. Head Start Program Performance Standards and other resources are included. Lesson 1: Watch Understanding a child’s behavior is not easy. Lesson 1 helps you recognize how hard understanding behavior can be. The steps in the Responsive Process are discussed and the first step of the process, Watch, is explained. A short video clip of a toddler and offers an opportunity to practice the “Watch” skills.

There are also print out worksheets to help you observe children.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Resource in collaboration with ZERO TO THREE

Early Years Quality Fund

The Australian Government is establishing a $300 million Early Years Quality Fund to attract and retain qualified professionals in early childhood services.

Funding will be to eligible services supplementing wage increases of $3.00 per hour for Certificate III qualified educators. There will be proportionally higher wage increases for diploma and degree qualified educators. Read more. 

Did you know AusAID supports early childhood in the Philippines?

The $18M project, funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and in collaboration with  UNICEF, will be implemented in 36 areas in the Philippines until 2016. 

The Early Learning for Life program is for the most disadvantaged children who suffer from multiple vulnerabilities as a result of armed conflict, disaster and urban challenges. 

“Improving the quality of basic education is a priority for Australia’s development program in the Philippines.  We understand that access to quality education improves one’s opportunities in life to help people overcome poverty.   Australia invests in early childhood education in recognition of the significant role ECCD (The Early Childhood Care and Development Council) plays in improving the quality of learning outcomes, retention and completion rates of school children,” Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell said. - See more at: Global Nation 

Nature Benefits for Children

Dr Karen Martin from the University of Western Australia has conducted research into the benefits for children from contact with nature. She found that today’s children are spending less time outside than previous generations despite clear benefits relating to children’s health, behaviour and learning.
Read the Nature Benefits for Children information brochure.
Here are just some of our bloggers who appreciate and blog about connecting children with nature:

Baby bee's house: children learning about bees
Bowerbird Blue: all about environmental education
Caro & Co: connecting kids to the wonders of outdoors...
earth sky sea child: Learning Love of the Environment
little eco footprints: know nature
Mummy Musings and Mayhem: outdoor play ideas
playfulljoy: camping and rock stacks

But, I bet if you visited any of the blogs at left you would be hard pressed to not find posts about the fun and importance and ideas for getting kids outdoors.
Here at EARLY PLAY AUSTRALIA we love and cherish the wonderful outdoor environment we live in, do you? Let us know by leaving a comment here.

New online resources for services

New information sheets are available from the ACECQA -  Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.

Early Childhood Australia has a National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program, which offers free resources including articles and e-learning videos on learning frameworks and an online discussion forum for educators. For more information, visit ECA’s website.