Free professional learning opportunity – support the learning of young children with disabilities and/or developmental delays

Applications for cohort 1 close 18 February.

Early childhood educators are encouraged to participate in the FREE Early ABLES Champions professional learning opportunity. The opportunity is for educators who have interest, knowledge and/or experience with the Early ABLES tool, or who would like to develop skills in this area, to promote its implementation through their teams and networks (more…)

eNews 5 December 2018 available now

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Labor promise on free TAFE courses and Uni scholarships makes sense

Victorian Labor’s pre-election promise to add the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care and the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care to the list of Free TAFE courses makes sense. And two years of high quality early learning also needs more degree qualified early years teachers so ELAA also welcomes Labor’s additional pledge to provide 8000 scholarships for people studying to become degree qualified teachers.

Read more in the media release

eNews 21 November 2018 available now

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eNews 9 November 2018 available now

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eNews 24 October 2018 available now

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$25 million Drought Preparedness and Support Package for Victoria

The Victorian Government has today announced a $25 million Drought Preparedness and Support Package with targeted support for mental health, small business planning and support for parents in farming communities. As part of this package, there will be two kindergarten support initiatives made available for the 2019 calendar year for families and services located in East Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils.

Drought Kindergarten Fee Subsidy

• The Drought Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS) initiative will provide access to free or low cost kindergarten for 15 hours per week for all children in the year before school in 2019. The fee subsidy will be available to families that reside in or attend a kindergarten service in the two identified local government areas (LGAs).

Financial hardship grants

• A one-off financial hardship grant of up to $10,000 will be available to all community-based kindergarten services in the identified LGAs that can demonstrate that their income and service delivery have been directly impacted by the drought.

The attached letter from Minister Mikakos advising services in these areas of the available support will be sent by DET shortly.

Further information about the application process for financial hardship grants and the administration of the Drought KFS will be available in the coming weeks.

eNews 10 October 2018 available now

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ALP early years funding announcements are a big win for service providers and families

Early Learning Association Australia welcomes today’s policy announcement from Federal ALP leader, Bill Shorten, on extending access to 15 hours of subsidised early learning to three-year-old preschool children and ensuring that the Commonwealth portion of the funding will be ongoing – for children in both four and three-year-old funded kindergarten programs. (more…)

UK Early Years Leader Joins Goodstart

Goodstart Early Learning has recently announced the appointment of renowned United Kingdom early childhood leader, Sue Robb OBE, as their general manager of pedagogy and practice. (more…)