Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning Sussan Ley has referred the Early Years Quality Fund Special Account Bill 2013 to a House of Representatives Committee for further investigation.

Ms Ley says the Bill was rushed into Parliament to reduce union unrest before the federal election but she says interested groups need more time to respond.

"I have received hundreds of calls and emails from child care staff raising concerns about the inequity of this fund and the entire process.

I believe it is vital all voices of this industry have the chance to be heard before Labor and the Greens wave it through parliament," she said.

Ms Ley is encouraging child care workers who are not eligible for the wage increase to express their views and make a submission.

Send your submission to ee.reps@aph.gov.au

Since 2003 CareforKids.com.au® has been working to support Australian child care professionals and our newsletter is an important part of our overall strategy.

Our newsletter has evolved in line with your comments and feedback and is designed to be an easy to read way of staying in touch with the most important news and views in the child care sector.

In order to ensure the newsletter is best meeting your needs and providing you with the information you want we are currently running a survey, the results of which will help us in future planning.

The couple of minutes it takes you to complete the survey will help us build an even better newsletter. As an added incentive we are offering a 5 per cent discount when you upgrade to our Premium or Enterprise service simply for taking the survey. Redemption details will be provided upon completion of the survey.

This article is the first part of a series of articles on the practical aspects relating to the implementation of modern electronic technology, specifically iPads or similar devices, in early childhood education centres.

We have recently purchased iPads for our centre and have found them to be a fantastic addition to our overall program. We intend to share our story with you in the hope that it may be of interest and that you may benefit from the lessons we have learned so far.

How we use iPads

Our classroom environment is set up to allow children to self-select activities they wish to engage in. One of the self-selected learning experiences is the use of the 'Technology Zone' which among other things, allows children to make use of the iPads. Children use them for a range of pedagogical purposes.

Some of our more frequent uses of these devices include the following:
continued…

Funding for 340 Budget Based Funded child care services in rural, regional and Indigenous areas has been extended until 30 June 2014 while a government review into how well they service their communities continues.

Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care Kate Ellis said extension of the funding agreements would give the providers certainty for next year.

"…High-quality early childhood education and care give all children a better start at life, but it’s particularly important for children in hard-to-reach locations.

"The continued funding will give services the opportunity to forward plan their operating budgets for next financial year while we continue to review the program," said Ms Ellis.

An additional $1.47 million will also be available to these services to help them improve quality through the provision of extra educational resources and equipment and they will also be urged to self assess.

"From July 2013, service providers will also be encouraged to undertake a voluntary self-assessment against the National Quality Standard and to develop a Quality Improvement Plan," said Ms Ellis.

Indigenous Professional Support Units and Professional Support Coordinators will be funded to help providers complete their self-assessment and Quality Improvement Plan.

Ms Ellis also announced that the second stage of the review into Budget Based Funded child care services would involve the establishment of an external stakeholder reference group to provide advice.

This is a great opportunity to promote your service's achievements and Quality Improvement Plan so let us know