ELACCA announces new Co Chairs

The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) has appointed G8 Education CEO Gary Carroll and Big Fat Smile CEO Jenni Hutchins as co-chairs of the national organisation.

ELACCA represents not-for-profit and private providers around Australia, with membership that covers more than 2,000 preschools, kindergartens, family day care and long day care services.

Each of the new co-chairs said they would continue to highlight the importance of quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) and to actively lobby for improved investment in Australia’s youngest learners, saying they looked forward to continuing the great work of their predecessors.

In the jointly issued statement, the co-chairs said the evidence body supporting the value of high-quality early learning is strong, and getting stronger, whilst emphasising that young children thrive when they can access multiple days of high-quality early learning in the years before school.

“Very young children undergo an extraordinary period of brain development before beginning school and many nations around the world have already moved to ensure that their children get every opportunity to build the foundational skills they need for the future,” the statement said.

Both Mr Carroll and Ms Hutchins said they were excited to be working with the ELACCA team and sector stakeholders to further promote the importance of early learning and care for children as an integral part of Australia’s education system.

Outlining the work that ELACCA members do in providing high-quality early learning, Ms Hutchins and Mr Carroll said they were proud to be working with a committed group of sector CEOs who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the front, and who share a passion to make Australia’s early education sector as effective, accessible and affordable as possible.

The co-chairs concluded the statement by affirming their commitment to representing the views of their members, saying “The early education sector is a dynamic and growing sector and we look forward to representing the views of our members to government, to the media and the community.”