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Inclusion and Early Intervention General Manager Update It’s been a very busy few months for ECANT for sure! We are delighted to be welcoming some new recruits in both our NDIS and ISP programs with some exceptional people joining our teams. We have also been very busy with our advocacy work, supporting some important insights into the world of ECEC here in the NT. In April our CEO, Sam Page joined us for a remote visit out to Borroloola. It was such a great opportunity for Sam to see some of the work undertaken in the IP space and meet with communities, stakeholders, families and children. This enabled Sam to go back to Canberra with first-hand insights that she has been able to feed into ECA policy and advocacy activity. In May, we were also very fortunate to host the three Productivity Commissioners that are currently undertaking an inquiry into the productivity of ECEC across the country. Martin Stokie, Lisa Gropp and Deb Brennan joined ECA and the Roper Gulf Council team on a visit to Beswick to experience first-hand some of the challenges and opportunities posed in the ECEC space in remote and very remote settings. June has also been very busy with Reconciliation activity. Senator Malarndirri McCarthy joined our all staff team meeting in May to chat with us about her work in reconciliation, our very own Claire Bredhauer hosted a podcast with the amazing Thomas Mayo talking about his work and the importance of the Voice to Parliament (watch this space for the release date) and myself and Catherine Clucas attended the ECA Reconciliation Symposium in Hobart to participate in some awesome discussions and debates with some incredible champions for the Voice. ECA is proud to be a strong supporter of the ‘Yes Campaign’. Janet Williams-Smith ECA NT Staff Update Mila Lu - Administrator and Program Officer (NDIS) Mila joined ECA NT at the start of May, 2023. Mila has previously worked as an educator at an Out of School Hours Care facility for three years, and as a medical receptionist for the past year. Mila grew up in Darwin and has enjoyed every part of it. Being part of the community, she is inspired to help those around her and takes joy in the work that she does. She looks forwards to assisting the families and children with ECA NT. Renee Moxham - Inclusion Professional Northern Region Renee joined the ECA NT Inclusion Support Team in May 2023 and has a range of experiences within early childhood classroom environments in both mainstream and special education settings. She is originally from country South Australia and has called the Top End home for almost three years. Renee holds a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Special Education) and a Bachelor of Disability Studies from Flinders University and has worked in the sector for five years. She enjoys creating close relationships with children, families, educators, and relevant stakeholders within the children’s lives. Renee enjoys using visuals, timer tools and social stories to support the children’s sense of predictability, routine and safety within the learning environment. Outside of work, Renee enjoys reading, trying new restaurants, and fishing. She is keen to travel in her new role as an Inclusion Professional to local and remote parts of the Northern Territory. Renee looks forward to meeting and working with staff to support them on their journey to a more inclusive environment. Sarah Went - Inclusion Professional Southern Region Sarah has recently relocated from the ACT to Alice Springs to work as an Inclusion Professional with the Alice Springs team. She is eager to embrace diverse experiences and connect with new people working in Central Australia. She is completing her Bachelor in Early Childhood Education and has been working in the sector since 2015, her most recent role as a Service Manager of an ECEC Service. Sarah is a firm believer in the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach, Sarah is an advocate for play-based learning. She understands the unique role of educators in shaping the lives of children and is enthusiastic about fostering an environment that champions child-led learning. At ECA NT, Sarah is excited about working with diverse teams. She is keen to contribute to improving outcomes for children across Australia by empowering our educators through the sharing of knowledge and practices. Zoe Nelson - Early Childhood Specialist Zoë has experience working in a variety of different roles and services in the last nearly 20 years since completing her Diploma of Children’s Service; including as an educator, coordinator, inclusion facilitator and business owner. Currently she is in her final year of a Bachelor of Early Childhood/Primary teaching at Charles Darwin University. As a specialist early years music educator, Zoë spent 7 years delivering music and movement programs to families, preschools and childcare centres in Darwin and Palmerston and has a strong understanding about how music can positively influence development and build connections. She is passionate about encouraging children and families to find their voice and is excited to work with the great team at Early Childhood Australia. She will be working Monday – Thursday to allow a day for study. Tayla Braithwaite - Early Childhood Specialist Tayla has recently moved to Darwin from Newcastle NSW. Tayla is excited about her move to Darwin and is looking forward to exploring all Darwin and the NT has to offer. Tayla completed her Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) at the University of Newcastle in 2021. Tayla has a variety of experience in the community service field, having worked as a Therapeutic Youth Worker in Out of Home Care and most recently working as a NDIS Support Coordinator. Tayla is passionate about promoting child health and wellbeing in the early intervention space and is looking forward to working and learning from the wonderful team at ECA. Inclusion Support Program - Northern Region Over the past few months, our Inclusion Professionals have been actively engaged in supporting educators, service directors, families and other early childhood professionals in our journey towards inclusive practices for all children. This past quarter has been packed with meaningful collaborations, remote travels, and inspiring networking opportunities. Here’s a glimpse of our adventures: Journeying to remote communities. We are privileged to be able to visit and continue our inclusion support work to remote communities, including visiting early childhood and education services in Borroloola, Timber Creek/Yarralin, Groote Island and Mataranka/outer Katherine region. These visits allow us to connect directly with early childhood education and care services, understand their unique needs, and provide support to enhance inclusive practices. Coaching and Mentoring session – Katherine Yarralin Networking Brunch with Be You. We had the pleasure of hosting another Networking Brunch, this time Be You consultant Kyle Ratcliffe who joined us to share his knowledge about Be You and 'Creating Mental Health Learning Communities'. This engaging event provided an invaluable opportunity for our members to network, exchange ideas, and gain insights about Be You resources and how they can be used to support ourselves, each other and families. The discussions were vibrant, enlightening and filled with innovative approaches to promoting inclusion. Keep an eye out for details of our next Networking Brunch and be sure to join us! Collaboration with Batchelor Institute: We have a wonderful partnership with Batchelor Institute in working together to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators to gain qualifications in early childhood to support the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in remote ECEC settings. Through joint guidance, we aim to enhance inclusive practices and empower educators to create nurturing environments for children of diverse backgrounds and abilities. This collaboration is a significant milestone in our journey towards inclusivity. We are fortunate to have Erin Murphy, one of our Inclusion Professionals, leading this. As we move forward, we continue to be committed to expanding our reach, strengthening collaborations, and fostering inclusive practices. Wishing you an exciting and fulfilling quarter ahead! Filomena Lay, Inclusion Support Program - Southern Region In May we have had a new staff member join us in the Inclusion Professional role within our team. Welcome to the Southern Inclusion Support Team Sarah. We continue with business as usual, supporting services and educators as they work to provide all children with access to early childhood education and care, that helps ensure they are meeting the needs of each individual. Services have participated in a number of Coaching and Mentoring sessions, both on and off the floor, which have focused on building educator capacity. These sessions have covered a range of topics tailored to individual service needs. We’ve looked at the importance and value of the Environment; Using Visuals to promote Inclusion; Using Art and Movement to assist with Regulation, and also How to make Transitions work for everyone. Our Alice Springs Early Childhood Education and Care Networking meetings are now being held monthly and are well attended, by a range of local stakeholders. They have provided great opportunities for discussion on issues pertinent to our region. We have been able to share information on workforce requirements and opportunities, qualifications and training access, Sensory Tools and Equipment, as well as discussing FASD, community Early Childcare access and our regional demographics. We were invited to join the Minister’s round table discussion for the Early Years Strategy planning, in Alice Springs in June discussing regional needs affecting our communities. It is important to get our children’s voice at the table. We are still looking for one more Inclusion Professional to join our team, so if you, or someone you know is interested, please contact us to discuss. Never a dull moment in the Red Centre … our drive to Docker River meant lots of red dirt to traverse (see picture below!) Catherine Clucas, Collaborations and comraderie at our June Networking Meeting NDIS - Early Childhood Approach The ECA NDIA team have had a busy quarter delivering the Early Childhood Approach including the Circles of Security program and Little Geckos early support group. The team welcomed Zoe Nelson and Tayla Braithwaite during the quarter with both settling in well. 2023 is a year of significant changes for the agency with the first major change for the Early Childhood Approach about to be actioned. From 1 July 2023, the age will progressively change to include children younger than 9. Changing the age to include children younger than 9 ensures these children and their families are supported by an early childhood partner throughout their transition to primary school (a critical life milestone). There is no change to the NDIS eligibility requirements or the definition of developmental delay under the early intervention requirements (s25 of the NDIS Act). Children younger than 6 will continue being supported by an early childhood partner if they have:
If you have any questions about the age range change or you would like to understand the eligibility requirements please reach out to Trish Wachtel at trish.wachtel@ecant.org.au or you can call 0488 991 685. Trish Wachtel g4gd® (gym 4 growth & development program) Term 2 g4gd® continued signing, dancing, playing and engaging with families in Term 2 through Get Active, Palmerston and 54 Reasons Baby Play2Learn groups. We have enjoyed running g4gd® at the new venue of the Community Room at the Palmerston Super Clinic with the Baby Play2Learn group. We hope to work with the Young Mums Strong Mums group within the FAFT program at the Palmerston Child and Family Centre in Term 3. Events and Media Update Events have been busy with ECA NT getting involved in events such as ‘Pirate Day’ for the Kids Cancer Project and ‘Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea’, also raising money for cancer. A team of ECA folk also attended a quiz night at the Trailer Boat Club, raising money for Carpentaria's Paediatric Equipment Program. During Reconciliation week ECA NT was honored to have Senator the Honorable Malarndirri McCarthy speak with us about reconciliation and the Voice and we look forward to continuing this conversation with her. We were also excited about recording the podcast with Thomas Mayor about his new book with Kerry O’Brien ‘The Voice to Parliament Handbook’ as well as how to speak with children and families about The Voice. ECA also participated in the call-out for choirs to sing the well-known song about the Wave Hill Walk-off ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow” by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody as part of Reconciliation Week and we enjoyed learning more about the story of Vincent Lingiari. Claire Bredhauer, Early Childhood Australia Reconciliation Symposium 2023 The Early Childhood Australia Reconciliation Symposium was held last week in nipaluna, lutruwita (Hobart, Tasmania) on 9 and 10 June 2023. ECA had two worthy scholarship recipients who were given the opportunity to attend the conference in person. Congratulations to Harshani from Goodstart Early Learning and Kaitlyn from Kentish Lifelong Learning and Care in the NT and thanks for the support from the ECA NT Committee. Early Learning Matters Week Get ready for Early Learning Matters Week 2023! We're excited to announce the theme for this year: Learning through connection Each year, Early Childhood Australia invites early childhood educators, parents, carers and community leaders around Australia to join us in celebrating Early Learning Matters Week. A weeklong celebration aimed at building awareness and understanding of the importance of early learning and the difference it makes to children’s learning, development and wellbeing.
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