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This paper reports on a study in which educators from four early childhood centres used metaphor to discuss their provision of high-quality early childhood education. Qualitative mining of focus group data confirmed 'quality' to be complex, multi-dimensional and value-laden. Findings contribute to understandings of quality in early childhood education through four key themes: 'quality' as a synergetic flow; the facilitative stance and impact of leaders in the enactment of leadership; children as active contributors to quality; and the role of love. Metaphor is shown to be a valuable tool that can highlight tangible and intangible quality contributors, how these contributors link together and the contextual specificity from which quality in individual early childhood education settings emanates. Keywords Quality, early childhood education, metaphor, leadership, I have searched and re-searched everywhere and offered 'dance' as the metaphor, and 'dancing' as the image. But I do leave it open to the reader. Because it could very [...]

PROVIDING INFORMATION TO FAMILIES about quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is important for supporting informed choices. The Australian Government has attempted to build parents' capacity to make informed choices through the National Quality Framework and the National Quality Standard (NQS) rating system. Many families, however, have limited or no knowledge or understanding of the NQS. This study investigated the potential of playgroups as a site for raising awareness about quality ECEC and the NQS ratings among families. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six supported playgroup coordinators, and focus groups were held with families from seven playgroups. Findings suggest that playgroups could be an effective avenue for disseminating information about quality ECEC. For supported playgroups, the informal and trusted approach of the playgroup coordinator may play an important role in raising awareness about quality ECEC, and they could be better supported in this role through accurate, up-to-date information and resources that are respectful of families' diverse backgrounds and needs., Introduction Choosing a quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting is critical to supporting young children's development and wellbeing (OECD, 2011; Sylva, Melhuish, Sammons, Siraj-Blatchford &Taggart, 2011; UNESCO, 2007). [...]

ISSUES OF CHILDCARE AFFORDABILITY, availability and flexibility in Australia have long restricted choice for parents wanting to use formal child care. To address these issues, the Australian Government developed the Jobs for Families Child Care Package, which passed through the Australian Parliament in 2017. This paper reports findings from a study that employed Bacchi's 'What's the Problem Represented to be' (WPR) methodology to analyse the potential impact of the Package on parents' childcare choices. Consistent with submissions from peak bodies and policy analysts, Bacchi's WPR analysis uncovered potential lived and subjectification effects, which are likely to diminish the choices of disadvantaged families. Additionally, the analysis identified three discursive effects that complicate workforce participation and childcare choice. Utilising a WPR approach and disrupting the Australian Government's positioning of child care as a means to support workforce participation can inform advocacy that aims to re-centre childcare policy onto the rights of the child., Introduction To address longstanding affordability issues, in March 2017 the Australian Parliament passed a new Jobs for Families Child Care Package (hereafter referred to as 'the Package') intended to assist [...]

THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED EDUCATORS' attitudes towards the inclusion of a child labelled with autism in a mainstream early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting in Australia. The article provides an overview of three perspectives from which disability in inclusive early childhood education can be approached: the medical model of disability, the social model of disability and the social relational understanding of disability. Findings showed that when educators' beliefs and practices aligned with a social relational understanding of disability, inclusion for a child labelled with autism was facilitated. It is argued that inclusion in early childhood settings can be fostered when educators recognise and dismantle barriers to doing and barriers to being, and view inclusion as ordinary practice., Introduction The Australian Government recently opened six autism-specific early learning centres across Australia (DSS, 2013). Funding of these autism-specific early childhood education and care (ECEC) services appears reflective of the [...]

THE NATIONAL QUALITY FRAMEWORK (NQF) has been heralded by the Australian Government as a significant reform that will raise the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) across the country. Drawing on Foucault's (1991) conceptualisation of governmentality this article critically analyses the NQF. From this analysis we conclude that while overall, children in ECEC settings across Australia will be somewhat better off, the NQF nonetheless falls well short of its intended outcomes. Sumsion's (2006) conceptual framework for political activism in the ECEC sector is used to propose one way forward for early childhood advocates and activists to work for policy reform that may more effectively meet the Government's goal of giving children the best possible start in life. Central to our proposal is what we believe is currently lacking in early childhood policy: a bold, innovative vision for children's right to a high-quality early education., Introduction The election of the Rudd Labor Government in November 2007 brought the promise of a new era for early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Australia. In its provisioning [...]

While early childhood professionals in NSW are accountable to a substantial collection of regulatory requirements, little research has explored the outcomes of this regulatory environment, both intended and otherwise. This paper presents findings from a NSW study and shows how early childhood professionals working in long day care centres perceive the regulatory environment to impact on their professional practice. Specific attention is given to the impact of the national Quality Improvement and Accreditation System and the NSW Children's Services Regulation. The notion of the regulatory environment as a 'double-edged sword' emerges as a useful conceptual metaphor to understand how early childhood professionals perceive these regulatory frameworks to impact on their practice. Findings show that the benefits afforded by accreditation and the Regulation are offset by unfulfilled intentions and unintended outcomes., Introduction In the current Australian political climate which promotes the early years as critical to lifelong learning (Commonwealth of Australia, 2004), the risks to children exposed to substandard child care [...]

This article juxtaposes contrasting discourses concerning the impact that regulatory systems--such as the NSW Children's Services Regulation and the National Quality Improvement and Accreditation System--have on the professional practice and job satisfaction of early childhood professionals in NSW. Juxtaposing dominant government discourses with conflicting critical discourses raises theoretical and practical issues about how the regulatory environment is perceived, the place it holds in early childhood professionals' thinking about quality early childhood practices, and the impact it may have on their job satisfaction., Setting the scene: Staff shortages and job dissatisfaction in NSW long day care services The NSW early childhood teacher labour market, particularly in long day care, is marked by a [...]

Extracellular (ECW) and intracellular (ICW) volumes were measured using both segmental and wrist-ankle (W-A) bioimpedance spectroscopy (5--1000 kHz) in 15 healthy subjects (7 men, 8 women). In the 1st protocol, the subject, after sitting for 30 min, laid supine for at least 30 min. In the second protocol, the subject, who had been supine for 1 hr, sat up in bed for 10 min and returned to supine position for another hour. Segmental ECW and ICW resistances of legs, arms and trunk were measured by placing four voltage electrodes on wrist, shoulder, top of thigh and ankle and using Hanai's conductivity theory. W-A resistances were found to be very close to the sum of segmental resistances. When switching from sitting to supine (protocol 1), the mean ECW leg resistance increased by 18.2 %, that of arm and W-A by 12.4%. Trunk resistance also increased but not significantly by 4.8%. Corresponding increases in ICW resistance were smaller for legs (3.7%) and arm (-0.7%) but larger for the trunk (21.4%). Total body ECW volumes from segmental measurements were in good agreement with W-A and Watson anthropomorphic correlation. The decrease in total ECW volume (when supine) calculated from segmental resistances was at 0.79 1 less than the W-A one (1.12 l). Total ICW volume reductions were 3.4% (segmental) and 3.8% (W-A). Tests of protocol 2 confirmed that resistance and fluid volume values were not affected by a temporary position change. Index Terms--Extracellular and intracellular volumes, postural change, segmental bioimpedance.