The Early Childhood Advisory Council has been established to foster a stronger partnership between the ACT Government and the early childhood education and care sector.
The Council will run for an initial two year term and include a range of representatives across the sector:
| Name | Institution | Area of representation |
|---|---|---|
| Ms Cathy Hudson (Chair) | Policy Advisor and Deputy Chair ACECQA Board | Independent Chair |
| Ms Natalie Howson (Deputy Chair) | Director-General, ACT Education | Government |
| Mr Simon Bennett | Anglicare | Not for profit and early childhood |
| Ms Jodie Ledbrook | YMCA Canberra | Community not for profit |
| Ms Bernadette Carbin | YWCA Canberra | Community not for profit |
| Ms Alice Castrission | Catholic Education | Catholic Education |
| Mr Peter Curtis | Australian Education Union – ACT Branch | Peak body |
| Ms Joanne Garrisson | Association of Independent Schools ACT | Independent Schools Association |
| Ms Sandy Leitch | Early Childhood Australia | Peak body |
| Ms Lee Maiden | Communities@Work | Community not for profit and Family Day Care |
| Mr Bruce Papps | Northside Community Service | Community not for profit |
| Ms Reesha Stefek | Woden Early Childhood Centre | Independent not for profit |
| Ms Lisa Syrette | AIS Site Services Branch | Independent not for profit |
| Ms Symmone Turner | Preschool Teachers Professional Association | Professional association |
| Ms Carly Freeman | ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group | Community representative |
The initial work of the Council will be to provide advice to the Minister on proposals that arise from the Early Childhood Strategy and the Future of Education strategy, which are both currently in development.
The goal of the Council is to bring together the diverse parts of the education and care sector for collaborative input and advice to Government. Members have been selected not solely as representatives of their organisations but on the basis of their individual skills and expertise in the sector.
The establishment of the Council presents an opportunity to create dynamic and strong partnerships within the sector, with the ultimate aim to increase access to quality early childhood education and care for every child in the ACT.
The Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development has released a Communiqué on the work of the Early Childhood Advisory Council to date:
ACT Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development Communiqué 
(35kb)
ACT Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development Communiqué 
(289kb)