As educators prepare for the introduction of the National Quality Framework in January 2012, ‘community’ and ‘partnerships’ have become more important than ever. It is only in partnership and with a strong sense of community that we will achieve our aspirations for excellent children’s services programs made possible by more than ‘just adequate’ levels of funding.

This latest edition of Rattler takes up these issues with great enthusiasm and passion, exploring diverse perspectives and showcasing the fantastic work of our sector.

Fay Hadley and Katey De Gioia highlight collaborative partnerships with families and communities in an article entitled ‘Come Together!’ in our popular NQS Spotlight on page 18.

Stories from practitioners provide a rich illustration of this notion and you will enjoy reading how services in both rural and city locations are developing their communities in partnership with children, families, staff and local professionals.

Our Face2Face interview with our new Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, reveals the Minister’s goal to get funding right for early childhood education. And as Rattler goes to press, the State Funding Review is well underway under the guidance of Professor Deborah Brennan.

Also in this edition, we tackle the debate around NQF assessors and qualifications on page 24. It’s important to think critically about the role assessors play in the success of a new system. We need to be sure the debate is focused upon appropriate assessment of quality and compliance within children’s services rather than establishing an assessor role that is inhibited by workforce pressure, funding issues and even public relations spin’.

Rattler thrives on putting forward interesting perspectives and diverse views.

We trust this edition is successful in starting conversations, debate and encouraging new and different ways of thinking. After all, diversity and inclusion is key to a community that is sustainable and works toward the common goal of equity, social justice and excellent outcomes for children.

Leanne Gibbs CEO Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW)

As a mother, teacher and advocate for children, I was disturbed beyond belief when I learned the fate of the 1,048* children currently in Australian immigration detention. It clearly casts a shadow over Australia’s human rights record. What kind of society allows the incarceration of children?

As educators, you may think ‘what can I do?’ Well, start by reading our article ‘Australia’s Youngest Prisoners’ on page 10. Pass it on to parents and staff at your service. Help spread the word and lobby government by emailing the federal Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen.

Speaking of ministerial responsibility… on a more positive note, Community Child Care is heartened by the NSW Government’s apparent commitment to the children’s service’s sector. Following a meeting with the new Minister in mid-June, we are reassured by Adrian Piccoli and his Department—the newly formed Department of Education and Communities (DEC)—that he will tackle many of the long-standing issues that have dogged the children’s sector in NSW.

We welcome the Department’s upcoming review of NSW’s funding models. However, our new Minister has an enormous task on his hands due to years of neglect from previous governments.

It remains a sad fact that NSW spends substantially less money on children’s services than any other state in Australia. The NSW Government spends just $185 per child per year compared to Victoria’s $220, South Australia’s $496, Tasmania’s $342 and the ACT’s $489 per child**.

We hope you enjoy this jam-packed edition of Rattler, which has something of a children’s rights theme.

When the magazine debuted 25 years ago, our first editorial read: ‘Rattler…It rhymes with “battler” for all you hard-working childcare workers, and also “tattler” because we do tell a few tales…and shake a few people up.’ Indeed, Rattler plans to remain close to our advocacy roots and continue our policy of making a lot of noise about the issues that count in children’s services.

Leanne Gibbs CEO Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW)

As the year gets underway, one of the most significant changes to children’s services in NSW is now law! The 1:4 ratio became mandatory on 1 January. Community Child Care Co-operative NSW and early childhood advocates in NSW have been seeking this change for a long time and we congratulate the NSW Government for bringing it in well ahead of the national implementation in 2012.

Many services are asking us how to prepare for the next major change—the implementation of the National Quality Framework (NQF) in eight month’s time. We believe 2011 is the year to lay the foundations for the future, and as your peak body, we are here to support your preparation for the new Framework. For most services, the NQF means a reduction in processes—no longer will you have to undergo the dual processes of licensing and visits by Community Services and Accreditation assessment by NCAC. There will be one streamlined system. Most importantly, it means we will provide better quality education and care for children. And ‘quality’ is key to this discussion.

‘Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.’ –John Ruskin.

Enormous effort has been dedicated to the development of the NQF, and implementing it will require effort on all our parts. We are working on a range of resources and professional learning courses to give children’s services staff, owners and management committees the skills and information to support the implementation of the NQF. We believe in providing this professional development, we are supporting your aspirations of excellence and we are proud to be a part of this.

Rattler has a new section called NQS Spotlight, in which we will explore the seven quality areas of the National Quality Standard. In this edition, Luke Touhill looks to Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment. Standard 3.2 of this Quality Area states that: ‘the environment is inclusive, promotes competence, independent exploration and learning through play’.

Indeed, designing spaces for learning and connecting with the natural world is something of a theme in this edition. Rattler recently met American gardening guru, Rusty Keeler, during a workshop at Sydney’s The Point Preschool. Turn to page 15 to see how you too can transform your service into a sensory-rich ‘play-scape’.

This year marks 25 years of publishing Rattler. To celebrate this milestone, the magazine has a new look. No doubt, you will have noticed our dynamic new cover design and article spread. We look forward to bringing you more editions of the freshlooking Rattler throughout 2011.

Leanne Gibbs CEO Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW)

This edition of Rattler focuses upon ‘the child within’. It is such an important time to be ensuring children are central to our conversations. With the challenge of considering new national laws, new regulations and a brand new quality framework, we risk moving away from talking about the people who are most important to us—children and families.

It is the role of early childhood professionals to ensure children remain firmly in the picture and the conversation when we are dealing with change on such a massive scale. We need to constantly ask ourselves: ‘Are children central to this decision or change—what is the outcome for them and their families?’

In this edition of Rattler, the issue of pay parity for early childhood teachers is explored in the ‘Teachers are Teachers’ article on page 16, and you will be very interested to hear the words of our new minister, Peter Garrett. An article that raises an issue of great importance is ‘Why Kids Matter’. This piece explores the KidsMatter Early Childhood mental health initiative—a national promotion, prevention and early intervention program designed specifically for the early childhood sector.

Children’s mental health must be of paramount priority to the sector—we have a vested interest in being mindful of the emotional well being of children in our care.

Recently, we were fortunate to have NSW Governor, Marie Bashir, open a Leadership Conference run under the banner of the NSW PSC, Children’s Services Central. The Governor, who has had a career-long commitment to child and adolescent mental health, described early childhood professionals as an ‘irreplaceable resource entrusted with sending [children] on their way to wisdom and achievement in their lives without anxiety and depression later in life’. What a wonderful vote of confidence for our sector!

And so to you… Thank you all for your dedicated commitment to the children and families you serve. Thank you also for your generosity towards our organisation in your feedback and comments that have encouraged us to provide guidance, support, professional learning and expert information at greater levels of quality throughout the year.

We look forward to 2011 and to working in partnership with you to provide greater outcomes for children.

We trust you will take some time during the holiday season to regenerate your energy. See you in 2011!

Leanne Gibbs CEO Community Child Care Co-operative (NSW)