I strongly encourage you to attend the National Early Years Summit, which is to be held in Melbourne on 11 and 12 March 2020 (more information here). Be part of a gathering of the nation’s top leaders who will be discussing and shaping a major national campaign on the pressing needs of children, especially in the first thousand days.
Most Australian children grow up safe and well, but many tens of thousands are not getting what they need to have good lives. Australia needs to do far better for children who experience vulnerability and disadvantage. Why? Because we cannot build a just, fair and compassionate society while we leave some lagging behind. And, failure to address today’s problems will only compound difficulties for future generations.
The Summit will also play a key role in building on work being undertaken by Families Australia through its national consultations on the future of national child and family wellbeing policy to succeed the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020.
As my colleague Penny Dakin, CEO of ARACY, has stated: ‘The National Early Years Summit 2020 will begin a ten-year endeavour by bringing together those who work on the front line with children, academics, government policy makers, parents, and others. Our time during the Summit will include building on a knowledge of what works for kids, highlighting what information we lack, and how we can acquire it. It will also include thought and advocacy on how best to apply that knowledge to get the best results for our children with the limited resources available to governments, organisations, and families. The Summit marks the beginning of a new nation-building initiative that will benefit generations of young Australians and their families.’
Please do join us at this vitally important and timely gathering and help chart the way forward to deliver better outcomes for children and their families.
Dr Brian Babington
CEO, Families Australia