Describes the contents of the November 1989 issue of Early Childhood Development and Care, which concerns early childhood education and care in Australia. (RJC)

Argues that contrary to present notions, both pre-school and child-care facilities are considered important and beneficial by lower income groups as well as by upper- and middle-income groups and that consequently both forms of service should be supported by the Commonwealth Government in Australia. (SS)

Describes the nature of priorities for funding preschool programs in Australia. (SB)

Studied patterns of usage and factors behind parental choices of early childhood care and educational services for four- and five-year olds. Found that, regardless of type of service, most parents believed that young children experienced positive learning and developmental outcomes from participation and that, despite problems with each service…

This document discusses research and thinking about several countries' experiences in providing early childhood education and services, and additionally, describes current early childhood education in the Australian states and territories. Following the first chapter's brief provision of background information about preschool education in…

Clarification of issues will help training persons provide services to preschool children and families. Issues include content of training programs, parenting roles, and objectives of early childhood education programs. The author suggests expanding (1) the scope of preschool personnel training, (2) diversity of child services, and (3) the…

Provides an overview of Australia's early childhood education and care in the late 1980s. Topics include provision of services; state government responsibilities; caregiver pay, status, and training; and future trends and issues. (RJC)

School staff at the O'Connor Cooperative School in Australia had been concerned for some time about the difficulties faced by parents trying to fit traditional short preschool hours into their varying lifestyles. Their solution was to provide child care at the conclusion of the normal preschool session and on the two days per week that preschool…

Predicts that changing sociocultural patterns will affect services for Australian children in the 1980s. Among topics discussed are demographic changes: a decreased birth rate and an increased number of working mothers in fatherless families at the poverty level. Compensatory education programs and family policy development in Western societies…

Examines the stated goals and outcomes of early childhood and child care programs. Uses a functional perspective in which actual outcomes are analyzed as functions to compare child care with early childhood education. Discusses the ideology of each type of program and examines the positive and negative aspects of amalgamating early childhood care…

This document provides a collection of articles, speeches, and newsletter excerpts covering the accreditation of child care programs in Australia and the United States. The collection contains the following speeches and articles: (1) "The Road to Accreditation," on the history of accreditation in the two countries; (2) "The Case for…

Reviews developments pertinent to services for Australian children of preschool age. Emphasis is placed on the influence of school personnel, in league with the community, in the development of services for preschool-aged children. Focus is directed toward establishing standards to minimize developmental risks in children. (Author/DB)

A study examined the ethical dilemmas faced by Australian early childhood professionals. Data were obtained from responses to a questionnaire mailed to 25 preschool centers and 25 child care centers in Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and the Northern Territory. Of 300 questionnaires mailed, a total of 99…

This paper describes a project undertaken by the Free Kindergarten Association-Multicultural Resource Centre in Victoria, Australia, to develop policies, models, and strategies for establishing and maintaining bilingual programs in preschool or child care centers, either as full bilingual programs or as bilingual perspectives in other programs.…