In this two-part series, we speak with services in southern Sydney and Lismore to find out what they are doing to keep staff and children safe by changing how families and staff interact, how the service is cleaned, and how staff are rostered – including accessing the JobKeeper allowance.

Senior health education lecturer Dr Leila Morsy firmly believes that we must urgently reopen schools if we do not want to see a multigenerational chasm widen between our more advantaged children and those from families of concentrated disadvantage.

Amplify explores why ECEC is more vital than ever for vulnerable and disadvantaged children, and shares how the sector can best connect with vulnerable families during this challenging time.

In this week’s Amplify we speak with Denise to find out how the programs differ, and how she keeps both teams inspired. We also find out how Wakool Preschool in NSW are keeping play and connectedness at the centre of their remote learning plans for Term 2

In this week’s Amplify!, Hayley Bates from early childhood education STEM PD providers Little Scientists shares some fun ways to teach preschoolers about space, which you can share from your lounge room to theirs!

Are you a Miss Jane, or a plain Janey? We live in an age where most children call their friends’ parents by their first names, and that’s usually the case for early years and OSHC educators too.

Yet it wasn’t always so. A generation or so back, ECE staff were more often Miss Jenny or Mrs Smith with a rare Mister in the mix. How did it change? And why has the same trend not applied to school teachers who are still almost universally known by title and surname?

More importantly: does it matter?

While the world faces a global challenge like nothing we’ve seen in our lifetime, we are incredibly heartened to see what Australian educators are doing to boost the spirits of children and their families across the nation. 

During this challenging and uncertain time, we are advocating for our members around a wide variety of funding and viability measures

This week we share how two NSW preschools and their families have responded to the COVID-19 crisis with innovation, compassion and a boosted sense of community.