Upon researching the Early Childhood Australia website, the first current international research topic that I found interesting was a news article titled "Sky show 3 Q asks " can we make children smarter?"(earlychildhoodaustralia.org)
To discuss some insight on this question, Pam Cahir, the CEO of Early Childhood Australia spoke to 3Q about the biggest improvements to early childhood education in 25 years. More babies and toddlers are in childcare than ever before, at the age when their brains are laying down the pathways vital for later learning, intelligence and social capacity. (earlychildhoodaustrailia.org) Pam Cahir also discusses with 3Q how new national reforms are ensuring childcare centers provide a nuturing environment that will have a long term beneficial effect on our future society for years to come.
Reference
May 2012-News coverage: Sky show 3Q ask "can we make our children smarter?' featuring Pam Cahir, CEO, ECA Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustrailia.org.au/early_childhood_news.html
The second international research topic was in a media release from February of 2010 titled " Fair, inclusive, quality education every child's right; Early Childhood peak bodies welcome increased support for children with a disability." (earlychildhoodaustrailia.org)
Increased support for children with a disability to access early childhood education and care services will see huge long term benefits for their development according the Early Childhood Austrailia (ECA) and Early Childhood Intervention Austrailia (ECIA). (earlychildhoodaustrailia.org) Ceo Samantha Page said that children with a disability have the same rights as all children and additional rights because of the disability. (earlychildhoodaustrailia.org) Where there are barriers to children accessing early education and care services, we should be doing everything possible to overcome them. (earlychildhoodaustrailia.org) ECIA National President, Ms Denise Luscombe addresses that all children have the capacity to succeed, when they are properly supported. She goes on further to say " Children with disabilities, like all children, will make good progress when early childhood educators and support professionals have high expectations and they are fully included."(earlychildhoodaustrailia.org) Services and support professionals must be given the necessary resources to fully include children with a disability and to achieve high quality outcomes for children. Extra funding announced by the Federal Government will be a great help towards insuring the needs of children with a disability in early childhood education and care services would be met." (earlychildhoodaustrailia.org)
Reference
February-Media Release-Fair, inclusive, quality education every child's right; Early Childhood peak bodies welcome increased support for children with a disability Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustrailia.org.au/early_childhood_news.html
Under the Early Childhood Australia website I found an interesting section called Research themes and under this I found the topic of global warming and climate change it addressed the need for children to know and understand climate change. Tracy Young from Swinburne University of Technology addresses the questions " Why do young children need to know about climate change? and "Are we sure this is happening? (earlychildhoodaustralia.org) It may be confronting to dent the scientific informtaion about global warming, but the evidence is now overwhelming. Recent reports from the United Nations intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) prove that vast quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, created by human activities, are warming the planet. as the former United Nations secretary-General Kofi Annan has said the question is not whether climate change is happening but whether, in the face of this emergency, we ourselves can change fast enough. (earlychildhoodaustralia.org) Climate change will directly affect the lives of young children both now and in the future. It would be irresponsible for us not to share this information with children, to give them opportunity to learn how their actions impact on the health of the planet. This knowledge enables children to learn how to be part of the climate change solution and teaches them they can make a difference. (earlychildhoodaustralia.org)
Reference
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/resource_themes/sustainability_global_warming_and_climate_change.html
Other noteworthy information that I found on this site was resources for children and families dealing with brushfires posted on January 2013
Many families, Early Childhood Education and Care(ECEC) services and communities around Australia have been affected by the recent bushfires. Early Childhood Australia offers the following resources to assist families, children, and communites through this difficult time. (earlychildhoodaustralia.org)
Tasmanian government bushfire recovery page
Including General Health and Financial Assistance Information:
www.dpac.tas.gov.au/news_and_features/bushfire_recovery(http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/news_and_features/bushfire_recovery)
Disaster resources
From the Australian Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network:
www.earlytraumagrief.anu.edu.au/disasters(http://www.earlytraumagrief.anu.edu.au/disasters)
Bushfires and children
Bushfires can be a cause of major trauma to children as well as adults. Research shows children who have been directly affected by bushfires can experience emotional distress for a long time after the bushfire has happened . This can be related to the experience of having to leave their homes, fears about their parents' safety and fears about the future as well as actual experience of the fire.
Reference
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/pdf/papers/Bushfires2003.pdf
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