Last week, peak bodies CELA, ELAA and CCC launched an ambitious 6 point plan designed to inform Government around how our sector can be reformed. The plan calls for better wages and conditions for our workforce, access to quality, inclusive care for all children, and a national workforce strategy. 

“Our 6 point plan supports children, families and early educators.” says Michele Carnegie, CELA CEO. “The cornerstones of our plan are two fully-funded days of early education and care each week, an investment in quality and higher pay for the education and care workforce. Our plan is a blueprint for the government to ensure every child gets the best possible start in life. It means every child has the same opportunities, regardless of what their family earns or where they live."

Find out what our plan entails, and how you can get involved via our upcoming forum to help amplify the solutions we’ve put forward. 

We speak with ECEC Director Simone Smith about why inclusivity is important in early education and care settings, and how she supports inclusive practices among the children in her care.

So many of our members are dealing with devastating floods across communities. Members have shared harrowing stories of personal and material loss, fear and trauma. And we know many are now beginning to clean up and re-open.

CELA knows the important role your service will play in community recovery. We are here to support you through advocacy, by linking you with support services and resources, and by being an understanding voice on the end of the phone. This week we share insights from counsellor Jan Ryan on how to understand and respond to trauma following a natural disaster. We hope that this may be of use to you when you are ready. 

On International Women's Day we call for free access to early childhood education and care for families when they need it, in addition to improved pay and conditions for our sector. Find out how this can be actioned, and sign our petition to help bring about long overdue changes that will benefit all Australian women into the future. 

With restrictions easing, the priority for keeping children and educators safe remains.

We take a look at the latest advice from independent COVID experts OzSage, and provide recommendations around what services should do in order to keep children and staff safe.