Dear colleagues
In this month’s edition, we begin our countdown to World Teachers’ Day on Friday 31 October 2025 by celebrating the skill and expertise of Victoria’s early childhood teachers. It’s been a challenging few months but the professionalism across our workforce has shone through, and we encourage services to use this kit to help celebrate their staff.
This edition also introduces the Kindergarten Teaching Excellence Approach, which gives early childhood professionals access to free high-quality, on-demand, tailored professional development to help teachers and educators build their skills and confidence.
We’re also delighted to share that we will be launching the updated Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework in Term 1, 2026.
The framework underpins the work teachers and educators do by supporting reflective practice and critical inquiry. Its focus on working collaboratively and putting children at the centre of learning will continue and be enhanced, ensuring both teachers’ skills and children’s learning outcomes are effectively supported.
In this edition, we’re also thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2025 Victoria Early Years Awards. Now in its 20th year, the awards highlight the incredible work being done across the sector to support children to begin their lifelong learning. This year, 26 finalists have been selected. All finalists are in the running to receive an award at the ceremony on Thursday 6 November, and we congratulate each of them on this outstanding achievement.
We hope that the resources contained in these updates continue to provide you with the support you need to give Victorian children the benefit of high-quality intentional interactions, to set them up for lifelong learning.
The department also thanks professionals right across the sector for their commitment to creating lasting and meaningful safety changes to protect Victorian children and families.
Following the Rapid Child Safety Review recommendations, Victorian Parliament recently passed urgent legislation that strengthens the Working with Children Check (WWCC) scheme. You can read about the changes in the Changes to the Working with Children Check scheme article. They affect all WWCC card holders who work or volunteer with children.
Thank you to all the services that have registered their workforce as part of the new Victorian Early Childhood Workforce Register and for following the guidance on personal device restrictions.
These measures are a critical part of creating systemic change to the way we work in the early childhood education and care system and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Victorian children. Providers and services have been very responsive to these changes and have introduced them within timeframes expected.
Thanks to everyone who has been contributing to the critical work and wishing you all the best for the month ahead.
Bronwen FitzGerald
Deputy Secretary
Early Childhood Education
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