27 MayELAA CEO update 27 May 2020
Dear members
I hope you are all healthy and well at this time of great change challenge. Students are now returning to school across Victoria and in my discussions with various early childhood services it does sound like attendance levels are slowly increasing each week. On behalf of the ELAA Board and staff, I’d like to acknowledge all of our members for the tremendous role you are playing in helping communities, families and children throughout the pandemic. The work that you do has never been more important and relies on your passion, commitment and selflessness.
Advocacy
ELAA has been very active with regard to sector advocacy. I would like to acknowledge the tremendous leadership of the Victorian State Government and the Department of Education and Training in responding to the pandemic. Whether it be ongoing bulk funding for sessional kindergarten for four year olds, case by case funding for unfunded three year old programs, or more recently grant funding for cleaning services, we are grateful that our State-based advocacy messages have been heard and acted upon.
Federally, ELAA is currently working in partnership with Early Childhood Australia, Community Child Care, Community Early Learning Australia, Goodstart and several other not-for-profit peaks to urge the Federal Government to take a different approach to funding “child care” in the future, rather than simply re-implementing the old Child Care Subsidy system. We are collectively advocating for:
- permanently removing the activity test
- providing a base entitlement of 20 hours of ECEC for all children, with no ‘activity test’ and no out-of-pocket costs for parents
- providing community-based block funding, rather than individual funding, for vulnerable ECEC groups, such Indigenous children.
There is a long road ahead for the Australian community and economy. The value of a well-funded, sustainable, thriving early childhood education and care sector is critical to ensuring children get the best possible start to life, but also in supporting a timely economic recovery.
We’re looking forward to your continuing support
We’re working hard to support our members and it’s extremely rare that we ask for your help. With membership renewals for 2020/21 now open, we’re asking all members to renew their membership so that we can continue to support you into 2020/21 and beyond! Please check your inboxes for your renewal reminders or read further for renewal instructions. Take care in the meantime.
David Worland
CEO ELAA
