Free sessional kinder in Victoria is just what the doctor ordered

This morning’s announcement by Victorian Minister for Education, James Merlino, of $45 million in extra funding to provide parents with free kindergarten during Term 2 represents a necessary and common-sense response from the Victorian Government. (more…)

Early Childhood sector welcomes Commonwealth relief but now looks to States to bridge kinder gap

ELAA welcomes the announcement of the Commonwealth Government’s Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package that enables families to stay enrolled with their chosen childcare provider during the coronavirus (COVID 19) emergency. (more…)

Governments need to work together to avert the collapse of the early childhood education and care sector

The coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic has proved a massive disruptor to Australia’s early childhood education and care sector, with increasing service closures, reduced attendance and immediate financial insolvency risks for many service providers. These trends are hugely concerning to an already under-valued early childhood workforce that is facing the prospect of unemployment unless financial support to service providers is made available immediately. (more…)

Richard Marles MP finds out why Early Learning Matters at Bond St Kindergarten

Bond Street Kindergarten in Newtown welcomes the Member for Corio and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Richard Marles MP, to visit on Tuesday, 5 September at 9.30am as part of Early Learning Matters Week, a national initiative of the Early Learning Everyone Benefits campaign. (more…)

Vic Budget delivers on early learning election promises

The 2019/20 Victorian State Budget brings few surprises for Victoria’s early childhood education and care sector with the Government  honouring its key election commitments with around $1 billion in investment. However, the Budget does not appear to directly address a number of pressing issues for the Victorian Early Childhood sector.

Read more about the Vic Budget in our media release

Labor commitments mean a better deal for families and early childhood educators

Two crucial policy announcements by Labor over the weekend – on educator wages and reform of the Child Care Subsidy – go a long way to addressing a number of key reforms that Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA); the Early Learning Everyone Benefits campaign; and other early years peak bodies have been seeking for some time. (more…)

Another Federal Budget ‘Groundhog Day’ for Early Childhood Education and Care

With the release of the 2019/20 Federal Budget, Early Childhood Education and Care service providers, teachers, and parents could be forgiven for thinking they are stuck in the same revolving alternate reality occupied by the Bill Murray character ‘Phil Connors’ in the 1993 film Groundhog Day.

Read more in the media release

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

Rescheduled Vic Policy Debate – Debating the key questions on early and middle childhood education

In the lead up to the Victorian election on November 24, Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA), Community Child Care Association (CCC) and Early Childhood Australia (Victoria Branch) have invited the ALP, Liberal and Greens spokespeople on early and middle childhood education and care to present their case for delivering the early years services and support that Victorian families, service providers, and educators need.

Download the media release to find out more

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.

We also welcome the announcement by Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, that a re-elected Victorian Labor Government will commit almost $5 billion over the next decade to ensure all three-year-old children in Victoria can attend up to 15 hours a week of 3-year-old kindergarten …

Find out more in the media release