Why workforce wellbeing can no longer sit on the sidelines in ECEC

As services continue to navigate workforce shortages, rising complexity and increasing expectations, educator wellbeing remains a central concern for leaders across Australia.

The conversation is also taking place at a time when several major workforce and policy settings are converging. Workforce shortages, wage reform, updated worker retention payment settings, and heightened expectations around child safety and professional capability are reshaping the operating environment for services. Together, these developments are shifting wellbeing from a people and culture issue to a whole-of-organisation priority, with direct implications for retention, quality, compliance and service sustainability.

“The sector is no longer dealing with one workforce issue at a time. Wage reform, child safety expectations, compliance, workforce shortages and wellbeing are all intersecting. That is why this conversation matters now,” The Sector founder Jason Roberts said.

Over the past 12 months, national child safety training, increasing expectations around compliance and documentation, and a growing emphasis on psychosocial safety in the workplace have contributed to a shift in how services think about workforce support.

At the same time, broader workforce reforms are changing the operating environment for providers. Significant award wage and classification changes commenced from 1 March 2026, alongside updated worker retention payment settings, requiring services to manage payroll, workforce mapping and compliance with greater precision. While these reforms are designed to support educator retention and address historical undervaluation, they also require leaders to balance workforce investment, financial sustainability, performance and culture.

The wellbeing discussion is also increasingly connected to child safety. A strong child safe culture depends on more than policies, checklists and training sessions,  it must be visible in everyday behaviours, leadership decisions and organisational systems. For services, this reinforces the connection between workforce stability, educator confidence and safe, high-quality practice.

The role of professional development is also shifting. In many services, professional development time and budget are consumed by compliance requirements, leaving limited room to build practical wellbeing capability. The panel will explore how services can move beyond isolated initiatives and embed wellbeing into leadership, systems and daily practice.

For many services, this has translated into a more complex operating environment, where the demands on educators and leadership teams continue to evolve.

In this context, the session will reframe wellbeing as a core strategic lever, exploring how systems, leadership and organisational design can support sustainable, high-quality practice and reduce burnout across the workforce.

“Wellbeing is not just about supporting individuals after pressure builds. It is about designing organisations where educators can do high-quality work sustainably,” Mr Roberts said.

The discussion will explore how the sector can move beyond isolated initiatives toward integrated, system-wide approaches that strengthen retention, engagement and performance over the long term.

Drawing on expertise across mental health frameworks, workforce strategy and service delivery, the session will unpack:

• what meaningful wellbeing looks like in practice across varied service contexts
• the role of leadership in creating psychologically safe and supportive workplaces
• how organisations can measure, evaluate and sustain the impact of wellbeing initiatives
• the connection between educator wellbeing, quality outcomes and regulatory expectations
• how policy, practice and provider leadership can work together to support a more sustainable workforce.

Momentum continues to build ahead of the 2026 Sector Connect+ ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum, to be held on Friday 5 June at The Hotel Windsor, Melbourne, with The Sector pleased to confirm the composition of this year’s highly anticipated wellbeing panel.

The session will be moderated by Louis Hamlyn-Harris, Executive Manager of Be You at Early Childhood Australia, whose leadership in educator mental health and wellbeing brings both depth and practical insight to the conversation.

Joining him will be a diverse panel representing research, practice, government and provider leadership, including:

Professor Ben Arnold, Deakin University, whose work in workforce development and organisational performance brings an evidence-based perspective on the relationship between leadership, capability and service quality.

Briana Thorne, Phoenix Support for Educators, who works directly with early learning services to strengthen workplace culture, leadership practice and educator wellbeing, offering a grounded, practice-informed lens.

Justin McDonnell, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Practice and Safeguarding, Department of Education Victoria, who will bring a government and system-level perspective to the discussion. 

Belinda Schultz, Chief of Education, Shine Bright EYM, who will contribute provider-level insight into educator support, service leadership and the realities of leading quality practice across early years settings. 

Together, the panel brings a powerful mix of perspectives across government, research, organisational leadership and frontline workforce support.

Diverse perspectives to drive meaningful discussion

The Sector Connect+ series is known for bringing together voices from across the ECEC ecosystem, ensuring discussions are grounded, balanced and forward-focused.

The 2026 wellbeing panel reflects this commitment, combining academic insight, practitioner experience and system-level perspectives to support a robust and practical conversation. With representation spanning universities, specialist support organisations, government and provider networks, the panel is well positioned to explore both the challenges and opportunities shaping educator wellbeing today.

“This panel will help unpack those questions and provide clear, evidence-informed insights that support more confident decision making in the months ahead.”

A flagship event for sector leaders

The Sector Connect+ ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum 2026 will bring together approximately 250 leaders, decision-makers and sector stakeholders for a day of high-impact discussion, connection and insight.

Designed to move beyond surface-level dialogue, the forum positions workforce and wellbeing as strategic imperatives, essential to the long-term sustainability, quality and success of early childhood education and care in Australia.

The wellbeing panel will be a key feature of the program, offering delegates the opportunity to engage directly with leading voices and contribute through extended Q&A.

An opportunity to engage, reflect and lead

As the sector continues to evolve, forums such as this play an important role in helping leaders reflect on their approach, challenge assumptions and identify new pathways forward.

By bringing together expertise from across the sector, the 2026 Workforce and Wellbeing Forum aims to equip attendees with the knowledge, tools and confidence to strengthen their organisations, and, importantly, to better support the people at the heart of their work.

REGISTER NOW

Early Bird registrations end on Friday, 8 May 2026, so secure a discounted spot now.

For more information about the Sector Connect+ ECEC Workforce and Wellbeing Forum 2026 or to register, visit The Sector  Connect+ event page or contact Anna Boshell at [email protected]