Newsroom
Articles
Kate is passionate about contributing to public debate on a wide range of important issues. Here are some of the issues she has touched on in the past.
- Should successful athletes have to pay back the AIS 10 Jun 2009
- Let's give youth voice now for a better future 12 Oct 2008
- Organ donation it's the greatest gift of all 21 Sep 2008
- Is safe sex message falling on deaf ears 31 Aug 2008
- Grassroots funding is key to Olympic glorys 10 Aug 2008
- Easy to overlook big issue of homelessness 20 Jul 2008
- Trailblazer Natasha leaves lasting legacy 29 Jun 2008
- Heavy hitters boost our World Cup hopes 01 Jun 2008
- Youth Forum Discussion Paper 17 May 2008
- We can't take sport for granted 11 May 2008
- Women truly can do anything be anything 20 Apr 2008
- Let the Games begin with all our athletes 30 Mar 2008
- Proud past but future a challenge for women 09 Mar 2008
- Young people will be heard at highest level 17 Feb 2008
- Our nation has changed dramatically in three weeks 16 Dec 2007
- Mobile Phone Towers 23 Sep 2007
- Bradken Foundry 01 Jul 2007
- Full Fees 03 Jun 2007
- Eating Disorders 17 Dec 2006
- Iraq 27 Jul 2006
- Electoral Laws 26 Jun 2006
- Dental 08 Jan 2006
- Make Poverty History 18 Sep 2005
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Media Releases
2010 | 2009 | 200825 Jan 2010 - New Report Backs National Early Childhood Reforms
The Hon Kate Ellis MP
Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth
25 January, 2010
Media release
New report backs national early childhood reforms
The Minister for Early Childhood Education Kate Ellis today welcomed the release of an independent expert report - Child Care and Early Education in Australia.
"The findings of the child development experts who've authored this report back the historic action we're taking under the National Quality Framework," Ms Ellis said.
The research released today shows that we're on the right track in our comprehensive strategy to create a world-class early childhood education and care system for Australian children.
The report draws on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, which tracked almost 10 000 children and their families over two years from 2004, to find out detailed information about their lives and experiences.
Child Care and Early Education in Australia finds that:
- children who attended an early childhood program had better language skills than those who did not
- high quality care is associated with gains in language and cognitive outcomes in toddlers and preschoolers
- in groups where teachers were university qualified and more teacher-supported small-group activities were offered, children had higher pro-social behaviour and less problem behaviours
- current regulations and processes are multi-layered and complex.
"Lower staff-to-child ratios will mean each staff member can give more care and attention to each child, and higher staff qualifications will enable staff to guide each child's individual learning," Ms Ellis said.
"A transparent quality ratings system will allow parents to make an informed choice about their child's care and we're cutting red tape with streamlined regulatory arrangements and a national body to oversee the new standards."
The Australian Government is providing about $61 million to the States and Territories to support the National Quality Framework, which will be phased in from July.
The report was commissioned by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and was written by a group of academics from Charles Sturt University, Macquarie University, Curtin University and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
Child Care and Early Education in Australia is available from www.fahcsia.gov.au (named Social Policy Research Paper 40).
For more on the National Quality Framework visit www.mychild.gov.au or call 1300 363 079.
Media Contact:
media@deewr.gov.au
Non-media queries: 1300 363 079