Childcare Times

What's New ?

Pilbara newsletter: L.I.N.K Community Newsletter

Early Childhood Education & Child Care Reform - WA Consultation forums

Click here for the discussion paper on the National quality framework for Early Childhood Education and Care

Presentation notes of address by WA Commissioner for Children and Youth, Ms Michelle Scott, to ECA (WA Branch) forum on 4 June 2008.

Early Childhood Australia ... voice for young children

Celebrating 70 years in 2008!

Early Childhood Australia / McArthur Management Services Awards

A fantastic opportunity for early childhood professionals and students!

$8000 leadership development scholarship

$3000 student encouragement award

** The closing date for applications has been extended – COB Friday 5 September 2008 **

Early Childhood Leadership Development Scholarship ($8000)

The purpose of the scholarship is to support the recipient:

• to study exemplary early childhood services or programs overseas or within Australia and/or

• to attend an early childhood conference or event overseas or within Australia.

The cost of attendance at the 2008 ECA Conference in Canberra and the 2010 ECA Conference in Adelaide will be met as part of the scholarship, in addition to the $8000 scholarship fund.

Early Childhood Student Encouragement Award ($3000)

This award includes registration, travel from recipients' nearest capital city and accommodation for the Early Childhood Australia conferences in 2008 and 2010; one year Individual Gold membership of Early Childhood Australia; and a mentor for 12 months following the award, nominated by the Early Childhood Australia state/territory branch where the recipient is studying.

Apply now!

Further information, including guidelines and application forms, can be found at http://www.ecaconference.com.au/awards.html#mcarthur

Ngala Parent Education sessions- Term 3

Click here for an excellent article on teaching children how to stay safe by Professor Freda Briggs

The Heart Foundation's Eat Smart, Play Smart manual is back in stock!

For more information and details on how to order these, please click here

& Child Care

People in the children’s services profession in Australia were very concerned about the quality of child care services offered to children and families. As a result of a growing belief internationally, fuelled by papers coming out of the largest ever longitudinal study of children in child care (the American NICHD study) that child care (non-parental care) itself was no good for children, the need for research was identified.

If you would like to read more about the work (which was funded by Lotterywest and sponsored by Carewest) produced by Associate Professor Margaret Sims from the Centre for Social Research at Edith Cowan University please click here.

Early Childhood agenda of Rudd ALP Government

You may be interested in having a look at this link to see what the incoming Rudd Labor Government has made a commitment to in improving the early childhood experiences of Australian children.

These are perhaps best summarised in the 18 page Labor's Plan for Early Childhood.

Here is the updated version of the policy released earlier in the year:

http://www.alp.org.au/download/now/early_childhood_policy.pdf.

NIFTEY WA Conference

Working Together for Families with Young Children

- by Professor Dorothy Scott, Australian Centre for Child Protection

Promoting Optimal Early Childhood Development

South Australia's Early Childhood Transformation Plan by Sherry Thompson, Early Childhood & Statewide Services

The Early Years: Partnerships and Prevention for Healthy Brains and Behaviour

PowerPoint presentations by Dr Deborah Phillips [Georgetown University] in 5 parts:

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Final - Implications for Policy & Practice in Early Childhood Education

- Nurture Children's Socio-Emotional Development

hat's New ?

The Protective Behaviours Program

Protective Behaviours WA (Inc) in a not for profit, community organisation that provides quality education & training in all areas of personal safety including child safety and child protection.

Link to Brochure

Professional Development

Under the new Inclusion and Professional Support Program the PSCWA will facilitate access to professional development for child care services in WA. Subsidised professional development for service staff, owners and committee members will be delivered by a more targeted and customised approach.

Some providers of In Service Training sessions that have historically provided a calendar of training for the child care industry will continue to do so outside this program through fee for service delivery. One such provider is Meerilinga and a link to their training schedule can be found below.

All requests for subsidised customised support should come via the 1800 number or identified through your services SSP with your regional Inclusion support facilitator and faxed to us on (08) 9249 4366.

Bicultural Support Program

Child care services can make a request for bicultural support through their ISA. The request should be accompanied by a Service Support Plan, which are developed by Inclusion Support Facilitators and the child care service to identify a range of inclusion support needs that could include bicultural support.

The request for bicultural support should:

1. comply with the principles and obligations stated in the relevant access and equity legislation; and

2. accompany the written or verbal consent of the relevant parent, carer, or child care professional.

The Bicultural Support Program brochure, Support Worker Profile and Bicultural Support Guidelines including services available and how to access support is provided in the links below.

Brochure

Bicultural Support Worker Profile

Bicultural Guidelines

Multicultural websites

You will need adobe to view these documents. If you don't already have it you can download here

The Australian Government, through the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA), funds the Professional Support Coordinator initiative as part of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program.