SpeakersTim Moore.jpg Organisation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne Position: Senior Research Fellow Dr Tim Moore is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The Royal Childrens Hospital, Melbourne. He heads a small team with the responsibility of monitoring, reviewing and synthesising research literature on a wide range of topics relating to child development, family functioning and service systems. He has been the principal writer on numerous Centre for Community Child Health reviews, reports and policy briefs. A psychologist by training, he has worked in a variety of settings, and has taken a leading role nationally in the development of policy and training in the early childhood intervention field. He has been based at CCCH since 2000. Dorothy Scott DAS photo.jpg Organisation: University of South Australia Emeritus Professor Dorothy Scott OAM, PhD, began her career as a child care worker in a state children’s home in Victoria in the late 1960s. Moved by the suffering of children which she witnessed there, she studied social work at the University of Melbourne in the 1970s to pursue her vision of preventing child abuse and neglect. As a young social worker she developed innovative services in the areas of sexual assault, child protection and maternal mental health, which led to her being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and the Centenary Medal. Professor Scott is an honorary professorial fellow at the University of Melbourne and Emeritus Professor at the University of South Australia. Her current consultancy work involves clinical supervision for those working with vulnerable young children and their families, mentoring leaders of children’s services, facilitating inter-agency collaboration and providing policy advice to governments. Her most recent book (co-authored with Professor Fiona Arney) is Working with Vulnerable Families, A Partnership Approach, published by Cambridge University Press. Darlene Arkinstall photo 6.jpg Organisation: Department of Education and Training Position: South East Region Director, Early Childhood Education and Care Darlene began her career as a secondary teacher in western Sydney after receiving her Bachelor of Education from Sydney Teachers College. In 1990 she received a Graduate Diploma in Special Education and worked as a special education teacher, a disability consultant and a transition advisor. A scholarship from the New South Wales Premier's Department enabled Darlene to undertake a post graduate qualification in Public Sector Leadership and Management which inspired her to explore collective impact approaches to improve outcomes for children, families and communities. Moving from Sydney to the North Coast of New South Wales, Darlene spent the next decade working in the area of student services and school improvement before working as a School Education Director. In 2014, Darlene started with the Queensland Department of Education and Training as the Director of Early Childhood Education and Care. She recently completed her Master's Degree in Education and has a keen interest in supporting community collectives to improve children's wellbeing. mini-SC-0003_pp.jpg Organisation: Department of Education and Training Position: Partnerships and Innovation Officer As the Manager of a UK Early Childhood Pedagogy service, Susan developed strategies to deepen reflective processes connecting theory and practice with educators from early childhood services and schools. She has delivered at national UK, Australian and European Early Childhood conferences and was awarded a distinction for her Masters in Early Childhood Studies from the Froebel Institute, University of Surrey in 2007. Upon returning to her home state in Queensland, Susan opened the Department of Education and Training funded Early Years Centres in Browns Plains, Beaudesert and Acacia Ridge. Susan was one of the founding Directors for the Logan Child Friendly Community Consortium Trust, the mechanism for collective impact funding for Logan Together. Before taking up her current role as a Partnerships and Innovations Officer within the South East Region, Susan enjoyed working with the Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, and Children's Health Queensland. Susan maintains her commitment to lifelong learning as an Alumni of Social Leadership Australia and her current commitment to the Collective Impact and Results Based Accountability frameworks. sheryle.jpg Organisation: Department of Education and Training Position: Principal Advisor Early Learning Sheryle Croft is currently the Principal Advisor Early Learning for the South East Region. CYMERA_20131120_175452.jpg Linda Biumaiwai belongs to the Mununjali people of the Yugambeh Language Region of South East Queensland. Linda is personally and professionally committed to her people and she strives to create positive outcomes through numerous avenues. She works full-time and holds a number of positions on Boards and Committees such as the Preston Campbell Foundation and Queensland Indigenous Education Consultative Committee that work directly with communities around education, employment and community capacity building. She lives and works closely with her own community based on the Gold Coast and boasts a family of approximately 50 children and over 20 grannies. The love she gains from her extended family of jarjums provides strength to focus on a future of true inclusion. Linda believes the world has so much to offer but if you do not believe in yourself, then it is all worthless. She contributes to an environment of celebration and pride where her people work together, rather than competing against each other, for a positive outcome for all. Lynden.jpg Organisation: Department of Education and Training Position: Principal Policy Officer, Early Learning Pathways Ms Lynden Lauer is Queensland’s Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) coordinator with responsibility for supporting the use of the AEDC by schools, early childhood services and communities to improve early childhood outcomes. Lynden is a Principal Policy Officer in the Early Childhood Education and Care Division, Department of Education and Training. Sue Taylor.png Organisation: Flagstone C&K Kindergarten Position: Director Sue Taylor is currently the Director of the Flagstone C&K Kindergarten in Jimboomba, south of Brisbane. Over the last five years since the centre's opening, Sue has been instrumental in the development of an AEDC community response group which has organised for Mem Fox to visit Flagstone to talk to parents and educators about the importance of reading to children from birth as well as a series of Mums and Bubs storytelling sessions with Darryl Bellingham, acclaimed storyteller. Sue is particularly passionate about fostering and developing community organisations as well as building community capacity and continues to work with local early years neighbourhood groups to develop transition programs - both into early childhood services and school settings, In 2015, Sue and her team at Flagstone C&K Kindergarten were filmed as part of the development of resources by Early Childhood Australia funded by the Queensland Government, Department of Education and Training and the Commonwealth Government to promote and demonstrate the importance of using the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data to inform programming, planning and development and implementation of Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) in Queensland Kindergarten and Long Day Care Services. Madeline Hagon.jpg Organisation: Department of Education and Training Position: Principal Program Officer, Early Learning Pathways Ms Madeline Hagon is leading the development of resources for families, Early Childhood Education and Care Services and schools to help children enjoy a positive start to school. Madeline has taught in both early childhood education and care settings and schools and lectures in early childhood and music for Griffith University. ToniIdepicture1.jpg Organisation: Little Explorers Child Care Centre Position: Director Toni has been a professional childcare educator for over 30 years. She holds a Bachelor of Education, Diploma of Teaching, and Certificate IV in Workplace Training and is a Commissioner of Declarations. She has worked as a Director for over 20 years and assisted centres with re licencing, preparing for accreditation and has also set up new services. Karen Brown.png Organisation: Little Explorers Child Care Centre Position: Director Karen has worked for the Queensland Education Department as Primary Teacher for 19 years in both a full time and part time capacity. Karen established Little Explorers Child Care Centre in 1996 and has continued to operate and direct the centre. Over the last 29 years she has worked consistently with the 0-8 age group and has maintained the passion and enthusiasm while educating and assisting children with their development. Karen has worked through the quality assurance process 5 times over the last 19 years at Little Explorers and the centre has always received excellent reviews. AndreaFisher.jpg Organisation: Gold Coast Community Child Health Position: Nurse Unit Manager Ms Andrea Fisher is currently a Nurse Unit Manager with Gold Coast Community Child Health (CCH) with special interests in child protection and family partnership models of care. Andrea has extensive early childhood experience working with children and their families across a variety of health settings ranging from rural and remote communities in South West and Central Queensland, to acute Paediatrics in regional and metropolitan areas, and now with Community Child Health Services on the Gold Coast. Drawing on a broad range of experiences including health informatics, service redesign, and family-partnership models of care, Andrea has been extensively involved in the Gold Coast’s redevelopment of clinical services and the implementation of the Health Visiting Program under the Helping out Families Initiative, and has been integral in advancing evidence-based approaches to models of care that support early identification and intervention within the early childhood community. Dr Doug Shelton.jpg Organisation: Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service Position: Paediatrician and Medical Director Dr Doug Shelton is a paediatrician with sub-specialities in community paediatrics and child development. Miranda.bain.pic.jpg Organisation: Act for Kids Position: Program Manager Miranda is currently a Program Manager with Act for Kids. She holds undergraduate and Masters degrees in Psychology. Miranda is excited by opportunities to create positive change through innovation, and knows great results can be achieved from a single conversation. Carol Mortensen.jpg Organisation: The Benevolent Society Position: Senior Practitioner Carol Mortensen has been involved in the Early Childhood sector since 1987, working in both community kindergartens and private childcare as an early childhood teacher. She is passionate about early childhood development and the important role adults (parents and educators) have in supporting the holistic growth of children. Carol has been employed by the Benevolent Society since 2008 and works across the 3 sites of the North Gold Coast Early Years Centre as Senior Practitioner for the Early Childhood team. The Benevolent Society is Australia’s oldest charity and provides a holistic, family centred approach to providing support to families across the Northern Gold Coast Region, with programs on offer engaging both parents and children together. Detta Lange.jpg Organisation: Department of Education and Training; Benowa State School Position: Deputy Principal P-2 Throughout an almost 30 year career, Detta Lange has advocated for, and been engaged primarily in, Early Years Education, as a classroom teacher, through her work as a Reading Recovery Tutor, Literacy Co-ordinator, Head of Curriculum, Deputy Principal at previous schools, and since March 2015 as Deputy Principal at Benowa State School, responsible for Prep to Year 2, and Early Years Patron in the South East Region. Detta is committed to providing the conditions for quality education opportunities for children to exist within the school setting through developing teacher capability, and by strengthening community partnerships and relationships with external organisations - ECECs, external agencies such as Queensland Health, First Five Forever, and other schools - to form the 3Bs Early Years Neighbourhood Network in the Benowa/Ashmore/Surfers Paradise area on the Gold Coast. Mary Lincoln.jpg Organisation: Department of Education and Training Position: Director, Early Learning Pathways, Early Childhood and Community Engagement From her early career days as a kindergarten and primary school teacher to her current role as Director for Early Learning Pathways with the Department of Education and Training, Dr Mary Lincoln has maintained a key focus on working with community partners to improve outcomes for children. Mary is currently leading Queensland’s implementation of the Australian Early Development Census, the supporting successful transition to school state-wide initiative and refocusing age appropriate pedagogies in the early years of schooling. Mary believes that working together early childhood services, schools and community partners can make a significant difference to the health, well-being, learning outcomes and future opportunities for our young children. GS.jpg Organisation: Department of Education and Training Position: Deputy Director-General, Early Childhood and Community Engagement Gabrielle has been in the Queensland Public Service for more than 20 years. Kylie Alldridge.jpg Organisation: Benowa Early Learning Centre & Benowa Hills Early Learning Centre Position: Director As Director of Benowa Early Learning Centre for 23 years, and now co-owner, I feel it is like a home away from home for children, staff and families. I have a four year degree in Early Childhood from the University of Newcastle and have worked in the Early Childhood field for over 25 years. I have three challenging but beautiful daughters, ranging from 20, 19 and 10 years old. I believe that all children have the right to feel safe, cared for and treated as individuals. As staff we need to really know what makes the children in our care happy, comfortable and interested in their learning. I believe that staff and families are in partnership together caring for these precious children. Sharing individual information together is so important for both families and children to feel safe in this child centered environment. In 2015, with a very long waiting list and a passion for the younger age group, I opened our Benowa Hills Early Learning Centre with Rebecca Tapper, my co-owner. This new centre is located in the hills of Benowa and is in the Benowa and Ashmore catchment zones. The new Hills centre has a focus on the babies and toddlers rooms, with two rooms for each age group. My challenge recently has been to settle and develop quality relationships in a new community and establish an excellent team to deliver quality care to all families and children. My main role is to ensure families, children and staff are happy, content and secure and solve any problems, no matter how small. Sharyn Donald.png Organisation: Department of Education and Training Position: Regional Director, South East, Early Childhood Education and Care Sharyn Donald is the Regional Director for South East Queensland for the Department of Education and Training. She holds an undergraduate degree in Education from the University of Queensland, a Masters degree from Queensland University of Technology and is an Executive Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. Whilst teaching at both primary and secondary schools, Sharyn has also held the position of Learning Support Teacher, Head of Department (curriculum), Head of Special Education and Deputy Principal. Sharyn also has held the positions of Principal at Morayfield State High School and Cavendish Road State High School. |
