CCC celebrates 50 years of advocacy in education and care

Early childhood education and care peak body the Community Child Care Association (CCC) recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary following a year of COVID-19 related delays. 

CCC was established in 1971 when a small group of women established Australia’s first community-owned childcare services. In the 1980s, CCC assisted in establishing national peak bodies Australian Community Children’s Services (ACCS) and later, the National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA). 

The 1990s saw CCC strongly advocating for a robust quality system and supporting the establishment of the National Childcare Accreditation Council in 1993. The 2000s were also busy years with CCC being the Professional Support Provider from 2006 and advocating for the National Partnership Agreements on Universal Access and Quality systems.

During this time, CCC also supported the implementation of the National Quality Framework.

More recently, CCC has advocated for and supported state-wide access to Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in Victoria, as well as leading the Victorian Inclusion Agency, which provides life-changing support for thousands of children across the state.

To celebrate the momentous occasion, three of CCC’s ‘founding mothers’ were in attendance – Winsome McCaughey AO, Yoland Wadsworth and Mary Featherston AM, with current CCC Chairperson, Linda Davison, recognising and celebrating the work of the founding members and those who have followed since when it comes to advocacy and innovation. 

“From our founding mothers, to the educators and advocates of today, we acknowledge the monumental impact CCC has had in shaping the community-run education and care sector across Australia,” Ms Davison said. 

“Thanks to the passion, foresight and sheer hard work of so many committed individuals, community-run and not-for-profit services deliver outstanding outcomes for thousands of children and their families today.”

CCC Executive Director Julie Price said it was wonderful to see so many people from across the organisation’s history come together to celebrate all that CCC has achieved in shaping the community-owned and not-for-profit sector. 

“The passion from our people continues to drive us to create lasting change and better outcomes for children,” Ms Price continued. 

To continue the work of the organisation, CCC also used the 50th anniversary celebrations to launch its 10 year advocacy road map which outlines its vision for the future of the sector. 

“There’s a lot of work ahead, but we believe that our plan sets out clear goals to work towards to ensure we build a sector that is supported to deliver the best possible education and care for all children,” Ms Price said. 

To view the advocacy roadmap click here, or contact CCC on 03 9486 3455.  Image credit: Frank Amato