An impressive line-up of overseas, interstate and local speakers have been arranged including: Karen Andrews Karen is the Project Coordinator, Strengths Based Practice in Children's Services for The Benevolent Society. The Strengths Based Practice in Children’s Services project is funded by Families NSW in the South East Sydney Region. The Benevolent Society, in partnership with Lady Gowrie Child Centre Sydney, is working collaboratively on this project to support children’s services to incorporate the family centred and strengths based approach into their day-to-day work. Children’s services play an important role in the lives of children and families in the community. This project recognises that early childhood staff are increasingly being asked by the community to provide more to families, often without additional support or resources to fulfil this role, and aims to provide early childhood staff with learning opportunities and support. Muriel Bamblett Muriel is a Yorta Yorta woman who chairs the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care and is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency. She is active on many boards concerning children, families and the Indigenous community, including the Victorian Children's Council and the Victorian Ministerial Council for Vulnerable Children. Muriel Bamblett received the the 2003 Robin Clark Memorial Award for Inspirational Leadership in the Field of Child and Family Welfare and was awarded an AM (Membership in the General Division) in 2004 for her services to the community, particularly through leadership in the provision of services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. Carolyn Bolton Carolyn, BA, BSW is a social worker with 12 years experience in Community Health. Carolyn is the Family & Community Program Manager at Knox Community Health Service and manages a range of programs and projects, including child allied health and alcohol and other drug services. She has managed a range of community projects including the Knox Safe Party Project, the SMART Project and recently the C.O.O.K. (Challenging Obesity of Kids) and S.P.E.A.R. (Sensory Processing Education and Referral) Projects. Clare Boschetti Clare has worked in Early Childhood Services for over 25 years . Prior to her current position as Coordinator of the Yooralla Kindergarten Inclusion Support Service in the SMR, she has had extensive experience teaching in local community kindergarten, Early Intervention and as a consultant supporting staff working in Early Childhood Community Services. Clare has a particular commitment and passion for increasing awareness, knowledge and skills amongst early childhood professionals and the broader community about Inclusive Practices and partnerships with families. This commitment has led to the development of a resource for early childhood professionals : A Piece of Cake ?.. Inclusive Practices In Early Childhood Settings. Pam Cahir Pam is the Chief Executive Officer of Early Childhood Australia (ECA). In Pam’s role at ECA she is a strong advocate for young children and high quality early experiences in whatever service or setting. She, like ECA is committed to quality, social justice and equity in all issues relating to the education and care of children from birth to eight years. As a non-profit, non-partisan organisation, ECA is in an ideal position to advocate for the best interests of young children and where necessary campaign for change to secure the best range of options and outcomes for young children as they grow and develop. Debbie Cole Debbie has experience in all areas of children’s services, including kindergarten, long day care, out of school hours care and family day care. She is currently managing the Children’s Program at the Lady Gowrie Child Centre in Melbourne and is leading a research project in collaboration with Monash University. The aim of the project is to develop a more innovative way of planning and documenting children’s learning. Prior to this she was teaching in TAFE and working as a training consultant across all industry areas. Debbie has a range of early childhood qualifications, including a Masters of Education. Marilyn Fleer Marilyn is the Director for the Centre for Research into Childhood Studies and Academic Leader for Primary and Early Childhood Education at Monash University. Marilyn has worked in education for 25 years. She began her career as an early childhood teacher. Later she was seconded to the Department of Education, Aboriginal Education Branch, as an advisor, later as a Curriculum Officer and finally as a Research Officer (shared with the University of Western Australia). In 1988 she took up an appointment as lecturer at the University Canberra, remaining there until 2001 as Professor of Education. In 2002 she commenced her new position at Monash University as Professor of Early Childhood Education. Marilyn has a diverse range of research interests and has won grants of nearly 2 million Australian dollars. Her particular research interests and expertise include: cross-cultural research, early childhood science education, technology education, and the building of new theoretical tools to support early childhood education. Bernadette Glass Bernadette was trained in and has worked from The Strengths Approach in her work for the past 17 years. She conducts a training and consultancy throughout Australia at all levels within organisations. She was part of the development of The Strengths Approach at St Luke’s in Bendigo in the early 90’s. Bernadette has qualifications in Welfare, Facilitation, Solution Oriented Counselling and Nursing. Glenda Glover Glenda is an experienced early childhood teacher currently working as a Management Advisor with KPV. Glenda has been involved in Tripartite Reference Group for the past 2 years as a representative of KPV. This group consists of representatives from the AEU, MAV, KPV and DEECD and is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the validation process. This experience gives Glenda a valuable insight into the history of validation and an understanding of the processes, difficulties and successes. Paula Jormakka Paula is passionate in advocating for the right of children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to maintain their first language, due to personal experience as a child of migrants to Australia. Paula has worked in the Early Childhood sector since leaving high school and completed the Associate Diploma in Sydney in 1998. Paula has had many varied experienced in children’s services and has also had the opportunity to work in the health sector in event management and early parenting since moving to Melbourne in 2001. Bella Laidlaw Bella holds a Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma in Education and Master in Public Health from The University of Melbourne. Her experience before joining the Centre of Community Child Health (CCCH) has been in secondary teaching and qualitative and quantitative research. Since joining the CCCH in 2006, Bella has worked on the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI), the Platforms Strategy Community Engagement Resource and Community Evaluation Resource, the development of a community audit tool while undertaking the Playford Community Audit and most recently The R.E.Ross Trust funded Linking Schools and Early Years project. June McLoughlin, M.Ed June has extensive experience both at the service delivery and policy development levels within early childhood, parenting and family support fields. In her work at the CCH June has managed in a wide range of national and state projects designed to refocus services and provide support to practitioners to deliver more evidence based services for families of young children. The redevelopment and refocusing of early childhood and family services and systems to better meet the needs of families and young children is a key interest. Glenda MacNaughton Glenda has worked in the early childhood field for nearly 30 years. She is currently a Professor in the Faculty of Education, at the University of Melbourne University where she established and now directs the Centre for Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood. Her years in early childhood have included work across all sectors as a practitioner and a manager and she has been a senior policy advisor to government in the UK and Australia. Glenda has a passionate interest in social justice and equity issues in early childhood and has published widely nationally and internationally on these issues. Her published books explore approaches to rethinking gender in early childhood, research in early childhood and issues in early childhood curriculum design. Rhonda Mundy Rhonda has a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood) and has taught in mainstream preschools for approximately 20 years. She has been a teacher in charge for the past 4 years and has recently attained validation as an Exemplary teacher. Rhonda is presently teaching an Inclusion group and a 3 year old group. Her presentation is focused on the inclusion group. Pauline Ogden Pauline’s background is in Family Therapy and Community Development and she has managed a diverse range of Early Childhood Programs and Family Support Services for over 25 years. Pauline is currently Deputy CEO and Manager of Client Services for bestchance Child Family Care, a family support agency in the City of Monash and she has been instrumental in establishing an integrated model of service delivery within a children’s hub. Pauline has been a board member of KPV for 2 years and is the Chair of KPV’s Cluster Managers Reference Group. Louise Phelan Louise has been working in the social services sector for the past 25 years, in the UK and for the past five years, in Melbourne. She has been involved in many areas of the sector ranging from youth justice, community development, parenting, and child protection. Louise currently works for Department of Human Services in a Program and Service Advisor role, focussing upon the development of family support services in the Eastern Metropolitan Region. Nicole Pilsworth Nicole has a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) and worked in the early childhood field for 18 years. Her experience has seen her working in a variety of long day care and kindergarten settings in Victoria and NSW. She has also worked within the TAFE sector and currently Nicole works in the children's services area in local government. In her current role Nicole supports family and children’s services in the provision of quality play-based programs and staff professional development and support. Nicole is a member of ECA and is a strong advocate for the rights of young children. Louise Porter Dr Louise Porter PhD, MA (Hons), MGiftedEd, DipEd is a child psychologist and trained teacher with 25 years' experience working with children, their parents and educators. She is currently an adjunct senior lecturer in Education at Flinders University, South Australia. She has published widely, with titles including Young children's behaviour (2008, Elsevier), Children are people too (2006, East Street), Teacher-parent collaboration (2008, ACER) and Gifted young children (2005, Allen & Unwin). Paul Prichard Paul is the National Training and Development Manager of Good Beginnings Australia which provides a variety of preventative and early intervention parenting programs in over sixty sites around Australia. Paul’s work has focused on implementing innovative programs in universal services for parents of babies and young children and with children who are victims of severe abuse and neglect. In recent years he has played a role in the design and implementation of Good Beginnings programs in Tasmania, Vic and South Australia. Paul has developed a special interest in promoting the important role fathers play in the lives of Australian children and has been instrumental in developing innovative service strategies to support new and expectant dads. In 2003, Paul was awarded a Centenary Medal by the Commonwealth of Australia for his work in developing innovative early childhood intervention programs. Paul resides in Tasmania and lives with his best friends Joshua (11), Daniel (8), and Isaiah (5) and their amazing mother Leanne. Sue Rewell Sue has a Diploma from Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers College and a Graduate Diploma – Special Education. She has worked in mainstream preschool for many years and has experience working with children with ESL backgrounds and children with additional needs. She then took a new direction and began teaching at Kalparrin Early Intervention Centre where her position encompassed teaching and working with families as a Family Service Coordinator providing individual service plans. Sue is presently working at the Grace Park Preschool and is co-teaching the Inclusion Group. Liz Rouse Liz has a long history in early childhood education. She has worked as an early childhood teacher, in policy, planning and program management and also as a professional consultant. Liz has been involved in the area of early literacy having worked as a consultant with teachers in a number projects across the primary and early childhood sectors. Liz is currently teaching in early childhood a NMIT and is project coordinator for teaching and learning across the Institute. She is also managing the development of higher education qualifications in teacher education across early childhood, primary and secondary school settings. Denise Rundle Denise has been teaching for 25 years and, for the last six, has been at Boroondara Kindergarten where 84% of her families speak English as their second language and many come from refugee or homeless backgrounds. With the help of bilingual assistant teachers, Denise uses photographic documentation and “learning stories” translated into the child’s first language to provide opportunities for family involvement. This has resulted in greatly increased attendance and parent participation. Boroondara is now regarded by Australian and international educationalists as a model multi-lingual preschool. Denise received the 2007 NEiTA Victorian and National Early Childhood Award. Anthony Semann Anthony has served as an educator, innovator and advocate. Prior to graduating with a Masters in Sociology and Social Policy (Merit) from the University of Sydney, Anthony attained a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Sydney, as well as a Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training. With over 20 publications Anthony has challenged organizations and people to reflect on how their approaches to communication, diversity, leadership, strategy, values and relationships affect their services and ultimately their communities. Anthony’s skills and knowledge has seen him work with a broad range of government, non-government and private organizations across Australia and overseas including Columbia University, New York., and is an Accredited Child Protection trainer. Anthony’s contributions have been publicly recognized by his peers and the broader community through the nomination and awarding of the Inaugural Advocate of the Year Award and Young Manager of the Year Award. Peter Sheldrake Peter joined RMIT Business in 1997, and is Professor of Business Entrepreneurship, and Director of Business Relationships in the Graduate School of Business. He is a board member of the Peter Mac Hospital, the Royal Agricultural Society, Radio 3MBS and Red Stitch Theatre Company. Peter began his working career as an academic, teaching in the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, and at the Flinders University of South Australia. He then left the academic world, and for nineteen years worked in the private, government and not-for profit sectors. He was a chief executive for twelve years, the last nine of those at the Australian Institute of Management. He has written various books and articles, and is a regular speaker, conducting workshops and programs on strategic leadership, innovation and global business issues. He has a long-term involvement with the arts and not-for-profit organisations, as a board member and source of advice on management and leadership issues. He has five children, and lives with his youngest daughter near Sunbury. Margaret Sims Associate Professor Margaret Sims has worked in a range of early years programmes including child care, family support and early intervention. Her research focuses around quality community-based service delivery for young children and their families. In recent years she has undertaken research using cortisol, a biomarker of stress, to examine the impact of differing levels of quality in child care on children. She is a consultant for the “Life at …” TV series shown on ABC TV. “Life at One” was nominated for a Logie. “Life at Three” should be screened in April 08. Iram Siraj-Blatchford Iram is a leading researcher and expert in early childhood education, she is currently Professor of Early Childhood Education. Her recent research projects have included: A two year Evaluation of the Foundation Phase (3-7 age) across Wales and she is a Principal Investigator of the major DCSF 15-year study on Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE 3-14) Project (1997-2011) and of the Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years project. She is a specialist, early years advisor to governments in the UK and overseas. She has published over 40 books and major research reports and over 120 articles and chapters. Iram is committed to research which has practical implications and offers support to policy makers and those working with young children at the cutting edge of practice. Janene Swalwell Janene Swalwell, BA, MEd, MAPS is an educational and developmental psychologist and teacher, with a career long interest in vulnerable children and families especially those with additional needs in early childhood intervention. She has been the past president of both the Australian and Victorian Early Childhood Intervention Associations (ECIA) and is currently the Convenor of the ECIA-VC State Managers’ Network. Janene coordinates the services of Illoura ECIS, Preschool Field Officers, Playgroups, Supported Playgroups, Inclusion Support Agency (for Knox, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges) and the Resources Centre for Knox City Council. Her role also involves a focus on integrated early years service planning and on staff training. Collette Tayler Collette holds the Chair in Early Childhood Education and Care at the University of Melbourne. Her work involves cross-national studies of the ways that social, family and educational policies affect early childhood education and care outcomes. She addresses matters related to access and engagement by children, families and communities; public and private investments; program standards and quality; the curriculum and pedagogy applied in different services; leadership and staff engagement; child and family involvement and program outcomes. Her research seeks to understand and explain both universal principles and contextual variation in the care, education and upbringing of young children. Collette was co-author of Starting Strong II, the 2006 OECD report on Early Childhood Education and Care. Ross Valentine Ross is qualified as a Behavioural Analyst and a Trainer and Workplace Assessor. He has developed training seminars that have assisted employers to establish work environments that are conducive to effective teamwork and greater productivity. Through giving employees a greater sense of belonging and contribution, business is enhanced. Ross analyses personality types in relation to the tasks and responsibilities of the job. David Wright David has over twenty five years of experience working in the early childhood field with a Bachelor and Masters in Education plus Dip Business. Commencing as a kindergarten teacher working in session kindergarten for seven years before moving onto managing chid care centres for local government. During the past six years he has worked in a number of different positions with in local government including his current position as Preschool Services Coordinator for Moonee Valley Council. In this position David has endeavoured to ensure that staff practices reflect current research and best practice in kindergartens and across the Family and Children’s Services dept. David is a member of the KPV conference committee plus a member of ECA Executive. Sarah Young Over the past 20 years Sarah has worked with dance and drama for 3 year olds to adults, and hold a Masters in education. One of her focuses is working as a specialist drama and dance teacher with 3, 4 and 5 year olds at a Melbourne kindergarten. One of her interests is process drama with young children, where the children create their own stories together. Sarah’s aim is to break down the barriers of dance and drama and encourage teachers to use these in their day-to-day programs. Loretta Zeeck Loretta is the Team Leader of the Anglicare Greater Eastern Drug & Alcohol Service (AGEnDAS) which provides Alcohol and Drug counselling, support, education and information to individuals and families impacted by substance use. She has worked in the alcohol and drug sector for over 10 years in a number of different treatment settings. She is involved in strategic development in the Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne and remains committed to increasing the awareness and impacts alcohol and drug use has on individuals and families.