In The Field LATEST STORIES
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Sustaining the spark: How early childhood leaders and educators can avoid burnout
Burnout is a growing concern across the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. From educators and early childhood teachers to centre managers and support staff, the toll of workforce shortages, regulatory demands and the emotional labour of the profession is becoming increasingly visible. As the sector continues to evolve, addressing burnout is not only a matter of wellbeing but also of quality, continuity and retention.
2026-01-12 08:00:31
by Fiona Alston
Quality
Practice
Research
Workforce
Supporting children, families and educators during natural disasters
As bushfires continue to affect communities across Victoria, early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are once again navigating the complex realities of emergency response, temporary closures and trauma-informed support. For children, educators and families, these events can be deeply unsettling, with impacts that reach beyond the immediate fire zones.
2026-01-12 07:45:26
by Fiona Alston
Workforce
Provider
Quality
Practice
Research
Edge Early Learning becomes first QLD provider to embed Life Ed wellbeing and safety program across all centres
Edge Early Learning has announced a new statewide partnership with Life Ed Queensland that will see a comprehensive wellbeing, safety and school-readiness program embedded across every Edge centre in Queensland from January 2026, the first early learning provider in the state to take this integrated, whole-centre approach.
2026-01-12 07:30:23
by Contributed Content
Policy
Quality
Practice
Provider
Looking ahead: What the ECEC sector can expect in 2026
As 2026 begins, early childhood education and care (ECEC) services across Australia are preparing for a year of substantial reform, focused on strengthening child safety and raising the bar on national standards. Following a series of agreements by Education Ministers in 2025, new changes to the National Quality Framework (NQF) and the Education and Care Services National Law will take effect progressively throughout the year. These reforms reflect the shared commitment of educators, families, communities and governments to place child safety and wellbeing at the centre of early learning environments.
2026-01-12 07:15:47
by Fiona Alston
Quality
Provider
Policy
Practice
NSW regulator permanently closes Sydney childcare service after long-running safety and compliance concerns
A Sydney long day care service has been permanently shut down following what has been reported as more than a decade of breaches of national safety standards, in a move being described as the first permanent closure under strengthened NSW enforcement settings.
2026-01-12 07:00:59
by Fiona Alston
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