14 August 2026 The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) urges the NSW Government to reverse its decision to cut funding for preschool programs delivered in long day care services. “This is a shocking decision, because the funding cut will have a direct impact on children,” said Dr Amanda Walsh, the CEO of…
17 June 2026 The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) welcomes the Australian Government’s decision to extend its landmark wage subsidy for early childhood educators. The continuation of the Worker Retention Payment provides much-needed certainty for Australia’s early childhood educators, and reinforces the foundations for a strong early learning system in this…
9 June 2026 The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia is very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Amanda Walsh as the organisation’s new Chief Executive Officer. Amanda has a long association with ELACCA, previously working with the organisation in policy, projects and partnerships roles. Amanda began her career as a diplomat,…
7 May 2026 The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) welcomes the announcement by Minister Clare and Minister Walsh that consultations will soon begin on the establishment of a national Early Childhood Education and Care Commission. Anne Hollonds AO, CEO of ELACCA, said ‘While important steps have been taken to strengthen the…
11 March 2026 The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) is conducting a briefing at Parliament House Canberra on Thursday 12 March 2026, hosted by the cross-party led Parliamentary Friends of Early Childhood: The path forward: How we can build the early learning system that Australia’s children need. Anne Hollonds AO, Chief…
5 January 2026 The commencement of the 3 Day Guarantee today moves Australia one step closer to universal early learning and care, removing a longstanding barrier to children’s participation. The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) welcomes the commencement of the 3 Day Guarantee, which extends access to the Child Care Subsidy…
18 December 2025 Prioritising child safety is not optional. The safety, rights, and best interests of every child are our highest priority and our paramount consideration in operational decisions. As Australia’s largest providers of early childhood education and care, ELACCA members are united in our commitment to prioritise child safety. We commit to:
19 November 2025 Anne brings a wealth of experience, vision, and dedication from 28 years of senior leadership across government and non-government sectors, with a distinguished career dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families. Anne recently completed her term as Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission. In her previous CEO roles, Anne provided advice to governments and led research, policy and practice in education, health and…
ELACCA and its members are committed to delivering safe, quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for all children. Across all the priorities we pursue in our work, nothing is more important than the safety and wellbeing of children. We are collectively driven by a zero-tolerance approach to child harm, in all its forms….
22 August 2025 The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) backs today’s Education Ministers Meeting agreements on a suite of national safety reform actions to improve safety, quality and transparency in the early learning and care sector. ‘Education Ministers today have joined together in a historic collaboration to agree on important reforms…
