The Early Childhood Council is an incorporated society governed by an elected executive representing the interests of owners and managers of independent early childhood centres.
The main aim of the ECC is to encourage member centres to provide a high quality early childhood service that is professional, viable, cost-effective and appropriate to the needs of the local community, and a dynamic asset valued by all involved. This Council believes:
THAT the parents and caregivers who use early childhood services have the right to choose between a wide range of services and that each child should be entitled to the same level of government funding irrespective of the type of centre or management style chosen;
THAT the provision of quality childcare services can be effectively and efficiently met by a broad range of individually managed and motivated centres offering a choice for adults and children;
THAT individual employers and staff have the right to enter into mutually satisfactory pay rates, terms, and conditions of employment without interference from any third party or regulations;
THAT independent early childhood centres have the right to provide their own training opportunities with students having equal entitlement to state resources irrespective of the type of accredited training institution;
THAT the funding of these services can be effectively met by a mix of user fees and government funding, supported by enterprising and sound businesslike management;
THAT a professional and nationally co-ordinated organisation run by community, independent and private licensees is the best way to provide effective representation and engage in activities to benefit members;
THAT the continued viability and special character of community, independent and private centres is best protected by effective lobbying and on-going public relations involvement by a strong representative organisation;
THAT the regulations relating to the provision of early childhood care and education should be simple, universally applied, unambiguous and restricted to those matters which ensure the basic education, health, care and safety needs of the child. Other factors should be left for the judgement of parents and caregivers, and the staff and management who constitute the centre.
