Child Australia

14/10/2026

👀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲?

Big emotions, constant movement, difficulty settling or tiredness can sometimes be more than what’s happening on the surface. A child’s breathing, sleep quality and oral health can all play a role in how they feel, learn and participate throughout the day.

As ECEC educators, we spend hours with children across different parts of their day.
💡 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Rather than focusing on one behaviour in isolation, look for patterns over time. Does a child regularly seem tired, breathe through their mouth, struggle to settle for rest or have difficulty chewing? Making a note of what you observe can help you have a more informed conversation with their family.

These signs don't necessarily mean there's an underlying health concern, but they may be worth exploring with the family and an appropriate health professional.

🦷 Introducing 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁, a new series with Dental on Wheels exploring the connection between children's oral health, breathing, sleep and everyday behaviours.

🔔 Follow along for more insights to help you recognise the signs and support children's wellbeing. https://childaustralia.org.au/professional-development/free-tips-resources/video-vault/tiny-airways-big-impact/

13/10/2026

🌅 Sundowner Mode: ON 🌅

The sessions are done, the notes are taken and now it is time to relax, connect and celebrate an incredible day with your early childhood community! 🥂💛
Join us at the Twinkl Australia Sundowner to wind down, reconnect with familiar faces, meet fellow educators and soak in everything that has made today so special.
The perfect way to end an incredible day. 🙌

A huge thank you to our wonderful Sundowner sponsor, Twinkl Australia, for helping us end the day in style! 🌟

13/10/2026

💗 𝟭 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 for the ECLD Sector Awards 2027!

“As a mother of 3 daughters who all attended Early Childhood and Care services, I know firsthand how incredible early childhood educators are.” – WA Early Childhood Minister Sabine Winton MLA

If you’re a parent, you know how much it means to leave your child with someone who makes them feel safe, understood and cared for.

And if you work in early childhood, you see it every day. The educator who always makes time for a child who needs a little extra support. The leader who backs their team. The colleague who shares ideas, lifts others up and keeps showing up, even on the hard days.

These are the people who deserve to be recognised. 🏆 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, there are so many ways to celebrate the incredible work happening across our sector.

👉 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱: https://childaustralia.org.au/conference-awards/wa-sector-awards/nomination/

📰 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲: https://childaustralia.org.au/nominations-open-for-2027-ecld-wa-sector-awards/

Recognise outstanding educators and services by nominating now. Include a statement of support for a chance to celebrate! Find out more.

12/10/2026

It’s wonderful to see these highlights from the WA Play Strategy Stakeholder Forums 👏 capturing the many people, conversations and ideas that came together across the sessions. Minister for Early Childhood Education Sabine Winton MLA shared these photos, reflecting the strong collaboration and shared commitment to recognising the importance of play in children’s lives.

Play is the context for learning, not the break from it. On 15 September, Child Australia’s Director of Engagement, Performance and Growth, Arlette Bruggeman, joined stakeholders at the WA Play Strategy Stakeholder Forum to discuss how we can strengthen the role of play for children across Western Australia.

At Child Australia, we believe play is fundamental to children’s learning, development and wellbeing. It gives children the freedom to explore, take appropriate risks, build relationships and make sense of their world.

As the WA Play Strategy takes shape, we advocate for a strategy that is not only aspirational, but supported by action. This includes clear implementation and funding mechanisms, accountability for delivering identified actions, and regulatory settings that give educators the confidence and support to facilitate and respond appropriately to risky play. The Strategy must also recognise and resource the unique needs of regional and remote communities.

Play is not an alternative to learning. Play is the context for learning, and learning through play should have no boundaries.

👀 Read more about the WA Play Strategy: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/the-wa-play-strategy

07/10/2026

🧠 OSHC is full of big personalities, big feelings and big learning...
A difficult transition. A disagreement between friends. A child who suddenly becomes overwhelmed. What can we do in these moments?

Understanding children’s social and emotional development can help us look beyond the immediate behaviour and consider what might be influencing how a child is responding, what they need from us, and how we can support them through the moment.

Together with School Mates OSHC, we explored this through our "Social & Emotional Development in OSHC" Face to Face Workshop. Designed specifically for OSHC, the session explores the developmental patterns, relationships and experiences that shape school-aged children’s behaviour, self-regulation and wellbeing.

The team walked away with practical strategies including:
💬 Looking at behaviour from a different perspective and considering what children may be communicating through their actions.
👀 Using visual routines for transitions to make changes throughout the day clearer and more predictable.

Supporting school-aged children isn’t always easy but understanding where they are developmentally can change how we respond.

📩 Want this PD for your service? Book the Face to Face Workshop here: https://shop.childaustralia.org.au/product/social-and-emotional-development-in-oshc-inservice-workshop/
📞 Want practical professional learning designed for the realities of OSHC? Contact [email protected] to discuss a session for your team.

06/10/2026

⏰ 𝟯 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼 until the "Supporting Children in ECEC" WA Grant Program closes!

You know your children. You know your community. And you know where there’s an opportunity to make a difference. Now’s your chance to turn that knowledge into action.

💰 $20,000 – $200,000 in funding is available to help bring your idea to life, create new opportunities and support children’s learning and development.

📅 Applications close 9 October.
👉 Apply now. https://childaustralia.org.au/programs-and-projects/grants-program

05/10/2026

🟠 𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗥: Becoming Defensive or Evasive When Receiving Feedback

This can be a concerning behaviour but context matters. Defensiveness doesn't automatically indicate harmful intent. It may reflect discomfort, insecurity or a gap in knowledge or training.

That's why amber behaviours require us to pause, get curious, look for patterns and respond appropriately.

𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁.
✅ Check out our Free resource: https://childaustralia.org.au/professional-development/free-tips-resources/video-vault/see-it-stop-it-say-it/
🚦Or Explore our See It. Stop It. Say It. courses, available online and through Face to Face Workshops: https://shop.childaustralia.org.au/

02/10/2026

𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 2027 ECLD Conference 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻!!

There’s plenty to look forward to at the ECLD Conference! ✨

3 thought-provoking keynote speakers. Big questions that will get you thinking. Practical ideas to take back to your service. And plenty of opportunities to connect, share ideas and spend a day with 700+ people who are just as passionate about early childhood as you are.

💡 What happens when we get curious?
"The Curiousity Effect: Why Curiousity Matters More Than Ever"
— Dr. Kate Raynes-Goldie

📖 What can a story really do for a child?
"The Importance of Storytelling”
— Helen Milroy AM

📸 Who holds the camera?
"Why Children’s Voice, Choice and Agency Matter More Than Ever in a Digital Age"
— Kelly Royds, PHD

Our keynote speakers will have you looking at familiar parts of ECEC from a different perspective.

🎟️ Early Bird tickets are closing on 31 October!
Save $50 on individual tickets or $855 when bring your team with Buy 9, Get 1 Free.
https://childaustralia.org.au/conference-awards/ecld-conference/

Thank you to our keynote speakers The Y WA & Xplor Education 🙌

30/09/2026

𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗖𝗘𝗖 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀. 🔍

Every day, educators make hundreds of small decisions that help keep children, families, colleagues and themselves safe.

Discover practical tips to strengthen your safety mindset, including how to spot hazards early, speak up about concerns, prioritise safe practices over convenience, and use the powerful framework: “See it. Stop it. Say it.”

👀 Read our latest blog here: https://childaustralia.org.au/be-safe-take-care/

Take your safety knowledge further. Explore our featured professional development courses on child safety, safeguarding and creating safe environments. https://shop.childaustralia.org.au/