Welcome to the last fka Children's Services (fkaCS) eNewsletter for 2020!

Let’s hear it for all Victorian early childhood professionals! A round of applause for arguably the most resilient educators our state has ever known. You did it. You got there. We are now in the last few weeks of term 4 2020. Children have continued to learn and grow with your support, and many will begin their primary school years confidently because you maintained your commitment to quality early childhood education under the most extraordinary of circumstances. Well done and thank you!

This last edition of fkaCS eNews for 2020 is dedicated to an exploration of what effective communication with families and children has looked like and what we’ve learned from the experience of communicating from a distance. We reflect on the communication methods that were successful at a time when we were all trying to remain connected while physically distant from each other, and which of those methods might remain useful as we reengage in learning at kindergarten. We explore the concept of plain language, and how it may be applied in the early childhood profession to enhance communication between educators and families and question how to ensure next year’s orientation practices are meaningful for children and families enrolling in 2021.

You will also find information from the Department of Education regarding the free kindergarten program being offered for 3 and 4-year-old Victorian children in 2021 and we share the findings and recommendations from the recently tabled Parliamentary report on early childhood engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families.

It has been a challenging year globally and locally. There has been suffering and sacrifice but there has also been a great deal of camaraderie and hope for the future. The fkaCS team hope you all enjoy a well-deserved break and time with loved ones over this holiday period as we look forward to happy and healthy 2021!