COVID-19

Thrive by Five calls on Federal Gov to deliver national pan to help protect under 5’s

Freya Lucas

Oct 29, 2021

Save

As COVID-19 restrictions ease and early learning centres open up in NSW and Victoria, Thrive by Five is calling on the Federal Government to deliver an urgent national plan to help better protect children aged under five years of age, early educators and communities from infection.

Thrive by Five released its Early Years COVID-19 Plan outlining key priorities for government, including greater support for children’s health, greater financial stability and ensuring children who have missed out on critical learning during lockdowns have opportunities to catch up.

The comprehensive plan, CEO Jay Weatherill said, is vital to protect children under five, their families, and educators.

“Australia needs an Early Years COVID-19 Plan that adequately addresses children’s wellbeing,” he said. “It must prioritise high-quality early learning support, health and safety, and the removal of financial barriers to access.”

A failure to develop such a plan, he continued, “jeopardises the wellbeing of an entire generation.”

“The Federal Government must act now to protect, support, and build resilience for all our young children otherwise they may never catch up in their early learning and social development, and be at risk of long-term mental health issues,” he continued.

“These impacts are significant, cumulative and go to the heart of the health of our families and communities. Additional support for parents, families and educators are also vital.”

“It’s not good enough to leave a future generation of young Australians vulnerable or with the scars of this pandemic when the Federal Government can choose to act now,” he said in closing.

Thrive by Five’s Early Years COVID-19 Plan is available here.

Don’t miss a thing

‘Pandemic babies’ turn 5: Here’s what research tells us about their development and remarkable resilience

Early brain development lays the foundation for lifelong health and success. But disruptions to a child’s early environment can leave a long-lasting imprint on their development and success.

COVID research highlights impact of restrictions on children younger than six

The COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent restrictions such as social distancing, school closures and business disruptions attracted large swathes of research, much of which focused on school aged children.

In WA, it’s school time for the ‘COVID babies,’ with teachers worried about social skills

In Western Australia children can start their first year of compulsory schooling (known as pre-primary) in the year they turn five by 30 June.

Tech time, pandemic pauses and fewer books is causing speech to diminish

Teachers of children in their first year of school are noticing marked changes in children’s speech, placing the blame on more time spent using technology, children listening to fewer books, and the isolation of the COVID-19 lockdowns as the cause.

COVID-19 caused a cascading effect of economic stress in many families

Economic insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a cascading effect of connected problems for some families, researchers from Ohio State University have found, making links to higher levels of depressive symptoms for parents, which was then associated with poorer relationship quality for the couples, and poorer mental health outcomes for their children.

‘Pandemic babies’ turn 5: Here’s what research tells us about their development and remarkable resilience

Early brain development lays the foundation for lifelong health and success. But disruptions to a child’s early environment can leave a long-lasting imprint on their development and success.

COVID research highlights impact of restrictions on children younger than six

In WA, it’s school time for the ‘COVID babies,’ with teachers worried about social skills

In Western Australia children can start their first year of compulsory schooling (known as pre-primary) in the year they turn five by 30 June.

Tech time, pandemic pauses and fewer books is causing speech to diminish

COVID-19 caused a cascading effect of economic stress in many families

Don’t miss a thing

‘Pandemic babies’ turn 5: Here’s what research tells us about their development and remarkable resilience

COVID-19

Research

‘Pandemic babies’ turn 5: Here’s what research tells us about their development and remarkable resilience

COVID research highlights impact of restrictions on children younger than six

In WA, it’s school time for the ‘COVID babies,’ with teachers worried about social skills

Tech time, pandemic pauses and fewer books is causing speech to diminish

COVID-19 caused a cascading effect of economic stress in many families

Lismore director reflects on changes to children’s lives from fire, flood and pandemic

Pandemic led to some developmental milestone delays in infants and toddlers

Professional development

Workforce

Krissie used the COVID-19 pandemic to reposition to a career in ECEC

The pandemic limited children’s ability to socialise: here’s how to encourage your child’s friendships

Freya Lucas

Dec 27, 2023

Thrive by Five calls on Federal Gov to deliver national pan to help protect under 5’s

As COVID-19 restrictions ease and early learning centres open up in NSW and Victoria, Thrive by Five is calling on the Federal Government to deliver an urgent national plan to help better protect children aged under five years of age, early educators and communities from infection.

Don’t miss a thing

Related topics

Related Articles

‘Pandemic babies’ turn 5: Here’s what research tells us about their development and remarkable resilience

COVID research highlights impact of restrictions on children younger than six

In WA, it’s school time for the ‘COVID babies,’ with teachers worried about social skills

Tech time, pandemic pauses and fewer books is causing speech to diminish

COVID-19 caused a cascading effect of economic stress in many families

Related Articles

‘Pandemic babies’ turn 5: Here’s what research tells us about their development and remarkable resilience

COVID research highlights impact of restrictions on children younger than six

In WA, it’s school time for the ‘COVID babies,’ with teachers worried about social skills

Tech time, pandemic pauses and fewer books is causing speech to diminish

COVID-19 caused a cascading effect of economic stress in many families

Don’t miss a thing

Related Articles

‘Pandemic babies’ turn 5: Here’s what research tells us about their development and remarkable resilience

COVID research highlights impact of restrictions on children younger than six

In WA, it’s school time for the ‘COVID babies,’ with teachers worried about social skills

Tech time, pandemic pauses and fewer books is causing speech to diminish

COVID-19 caused a cascading effect of economic stress in many families

Lismore director reflects on changes to children’s lives from fire, flood and pandemic

Pandemic led to some developmental milestone delays in infants and toddlers

Krissie used the COVID-19 pandemic to reposition to a career in ECEC

The pandemic limited children’s ability to socialise: here’s how to encourage your child’s friendships

Keep Exploring