16 DecELAA CEO update 16 December 2021
Dear members and friends
Welcome to the final eNews for 2022. Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) welcomes the announcement (last Sunday) of the signing of the preschool funding agreement between Victoria and the Commonwealth Government. The new four-year funding agreement, which provides up to $514 million in Commonwealth funding from 2022 to 2025, will benefit up to 330,000 Victorian children in four-year-old kindergarten. ELAA and other peer organisations have lobbied for several years to achieve ongoing funding to our sector and we are pleased to see this messaging now resulting in positive action. CLICK HERE to find out more about the funding agreement.
The guarantee of funding also meant that the Victorian Government could publish kindergarten funding rates for 2022 this week – CLICK HERE for more information. ELAA is hopeful that now we have certainty of Commonwealth funding for the Victorian Kindergarten sector, that annual funding rates will be announced earlier in the future, allowing services to better plan for the coming year.
2022 is shaping up as a big year for our sector and I encourage you to take advantage of the support that ELAA offers to help your service get off to a flying start for 2022 including our 2022 training options for Committees of Management; our coming 2022 Learning Brought Life professional development series for providers, managers, and educators; (details will soon be available) and make sure you take advantage of great member discounts on targeted consultancy services when your service needs extra support.
Finally, please note the ELAA office will be closed from 1p.m. on Friday, 17 December to 9a.m. on Monday, 20 December and then our Christmas / New Year close down is from 5p.m. Tuesday, 21 December 2021 to 9a.m. Wednesday, 5 January 2022.
I wish you, your staff, and service communities a happy and relaxing holiday period and look forward to supporting you in 2022.
David Worland
CEO ELAA
