Early childhood educators understand the importance of outdoor play: fresh air, vitamin D, gross motor development and connecting with nature. Health precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic have made outdoor play even more desirable, but getting outside in the winter months can be challenging.

The Front Project’s latest survey of over 1000 parents and carers highlights how COVID-19 has reinforced the value of early childhood education and care in families’ minds.

The Bright Tomorrows app, which is free to download, has been designed to help parents and carers to support children’s brain development.

What was your childhood comfort item? For ECE Operations Manager Liz Pennings’ son Logan, it was his single bed-sized blanket.

Back in 2017, Amplify shared an interview with Bambini of Lilyfield centre director Anmol Lohia, whose powerful belief in creative arts education had led to many positive outcomes for the children at the centre, and the local community.

In an early April press release, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the importance of our sector during COVID, saying “… [ECEC] services are vital for so many parents so they can provide for their family, and children need as much familiarity and continuity as we can help provide at this unsettling time.”

NAIDOC week (originally scheduled for 5-12 July) may have been postponed for now, but celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is something early education services should be doing every day.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a new focus on the need for outdoor spaces and the ability to separate groups – but outdoor space is often limited in ECEC, particularly in city and suburban areas.

Future Tracks is a ‘social enterprise’ which aims to support the next generation of early childhood educators with a new and unique approach to mentoring.*

Community Early Learning Australia has released a report that highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, and the importance of early education in the nation’s recovery. We are calling for childcare support to continue to ensure vulnerable children do not miss out on vital care.