Episodes

This week we bring you an interview Leanne conducted with Kate Washington MP, NSW Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education. They discuss Labor's policy positions on early childhood education, current issues with funding of early education in NSW and much more. Plus, stay tuned right to the end to find out about our exciting first ever competition!

This week, Liam talks with Sharron Williams - the Board Chairperson of SNAICC and CEO of Aboriginal Family Support Services - about National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day. This annual event is the largest national day to celebrate Australia's Indigenous children. Sharron talks about how important his day is, and why early childhood education services should get involved.

We're all big supporters of not-for-profit provision of early childhood education, but how has community-based management changed after the introduction of the National Quality Framework - and why is it a good model for ECEC?

The gang's all back together as Lisa, Leanne and Liam bring you the second of our seven planned episodes on the new revised National Quality Standard. This episode we look at Quality Area 2: Children's Health and Safety.

This week, we're bringing you a follow-up to our last regular episode which focused on trauma-informed practice. This episode features psychologist Beth Macgregor speaking with three educators from Northside Community Service in the ACT on their work with Beth in 2017, and how it supported them to support children.

This week Liam has a chat with Beth Macgregor, a psychologist with a focus on young children who has worked with a range of early childhood settings. Beth talks about how working with a trauma-informed background can help all children, and how educators have an opportunity to support children at a critical time in their life.

Leanne has a chat with Sarah Mitchell MP, NSW Minister for Early Childhood Education, discussing the NSW Government's Start Strong funding and the importance of early education.

Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education Kate Ellis has launched a national consultation on policy reform for Australia's early education and care sector. This episode we go through the discussion paper question-by-question and create our own audio submission. 26 questions in just over an hour - it's the early childhood policy lightning round!

It's Leanne's turn to take a break this week, so Lisa and Liam take you through a discussion on the data on quality ratings in "Long Day Care" and Preschool settings. Why is there such a stark difference, and what does the data mean for the sector's definition of "quality"?

Tomorrow marks the start of National Reconciliation Week, so we chat with Alex Shain from Reconciliation Australia about their work in promoting reconciliation, the Narragunnawali platform for early childhood education and why educators and leaders should engage with Indigenous perspectives.

Leanne and Liam are flying without Lisa again this week, but are joined by National Educational Leader for ACECQA Rhonda Livingstone for this first in our series of seven episodes on the revised National Quality Standard. More episodes tackling each of the other Quality Areas will be released throughout the rest of 2017.

We're donning our sparkly costumes, organising huge props and light shows and tackling Australia's National Partnership for Early Childhood Education. Why is it structured the way it is, why is funding always uncertain and does it work for children and the sector? And does Europe come out on top with the best approach to pre-school learning?

Lisa couldn't join us this week, so instead Leanne and Liam have a chat with the wonderful Martel Menz about unions, campaigns and educators. What is the role of unions in supporting professional recognition of the work educators do, and should educators be more involved?

We're back after a bit of a break to tackle the challenges, tensions and implications of early childhood education run in a business context. What are the biggest issues that emerge when trying to work ethically with young children whole operating as a business?

You're all getting a break from hearing Leanne, Lisa and Liam this week as we instead bring you a presentation from the fantastic organisation ChilOut to the NSW Chapter of OMEP on the current situation for children in Australia immigration detention.

We're all still a bit shocked that the Jobs for Families package is now legislated, and vulnerable children will be those who are the biggest losers in these "reforms". So what do you do when you get bad news? You talk it over with your friends. So this episode we ditch the usual format and bring you a bunch of interviews with amazing early childhood people. Let's work through this together, everyone!

After some shared commiserations on the likelihood of the Jobs for Families reforms becoming law this week, we go to an interview Liam conducted at Parliament House with Labor's Early Education Shadow Minister Kate Ellis MP. Kate was incredibly generous with her time on what turned into a very, very busy day! She discusses her legacy in early education politics, problems with the Government's planned reforms and what advocates for children should be focused on.

With Kate Ellis leaving politics at the next election, we take some time to reflect on her legacy in the policy and politics of Australian early childhood education.

We are women (and a bloke), hear us roar! This episode we're discussing women, feminism and gender and how it relates to early childhood education in Australia.