ECA consistently runs surveys and talks to the early learning and care sector. Sector feedback included a clear request for a detailed leadership resource specifically designed for busy, well-established and also aspiring managers. ECA acknowledges that many of our leaders often ‘land’ in leadership or managerial roles and learn on the job. This Leadership Program will help to cement the foundations of best-practice leadership including a shared vision and language among teams.

The ECA Leadership Program provides the sector’s first best-practice leadership capability framework that all leaders should ideally be adhering to. No leader, regardless of how experienced they are, ever stops learning. Improving your own performance provides great satisfaction not only for yourself, but it also directly benefits your work teams and ultimately the children in your care. This program will provide you with additional skills to guide your team managers by providing a shared vision, framework and understanding. For example, it will help to set a collaborative working team tone, help you manage staff transitions—especially during staff turnover—and also, importantly, allow you to get the best from your team members.

• experienced and new service directors and managers
• educational leaders
• team or room leaders
• experienced childhood educators and teachers
• early childhood consultants
• aspiring leaders.

The program can be completed part-time, within three months. However, you will have access for 12 months, in case you require or prefer a longer timeline. The program timeframe will depend on your availability and how involved you become; for example, if you choose to engage with any additional resources this may increase your Leadership Program timeframe.

• Simply purchase your individual ECA Leadership Program here.
• You will be sent an ECA Leadership Program email from ECA within 48 hours of your purchase. This email will provide you with your leadership module online access code. You will also be asked to complete your Leadership Program registration (including your registration for the online forum).
• With your leadership module online access code you can now immediately start the first online module of the ECA Leadership Program. During the set-up process you will have also registered your password to access the online Leadership forum. Please note, this online forum is only open to other ECA Leadership Program participants and ECA expert leaders.
• Your ECA Leadership Program folder will be posted out to you. This folder contains the hardcopy Leadership Capability Framework and ‘how-to’ guide. Please note you will need this folder to guide you through Leadership online modules 2–7.
• Towards the end of the course you can complete your individual Personalised Professional Learning Plan. You also have the option for mentor feedback on your Personalised Professional Learning Plan by a sector leader.
• You will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

The Leadership Program has been designed for one person to undertake with one online access code, one Personalised Professional Learning Plan and one completion certificate for your professional development.

Please call or email the ECA Customer Service Team during business hours on 1800 356 900 (free call in Australia), or email customerservice@earlychildhood.org.au. A bulk purchase is buying five or more programs in one transaction. This entitles you to a 20 per cent discount.

The idea of the forum is to post any questions or problems that you might have, share reflections, program progress and knowledge with other leaders undertaking the program.

Sector leaders and ECA administrative staff have access and viewing rights to this forum. Please note the Leadership forum can only be viewed by those currently undertaking the ECA Leadership Program. For example, sector contacts in the general Learning Hub environment cannot access the Leadership forum or the ECA Leadership Program.

It is completely optional to request sector mentor feedback on your Personalised Professional Learning Plan. The ECA mentor provides you with suggested feedback and is 100 per cent confidential, focusing on building leader skills, as well as being supportive and encouraging. We recognise that being a leader in our sector can be quite an isolating experience and we want to provide you with quality resources to help you reach your potential.

Yes, in many States and Territories you are able to use the ECA Leadership Program towards self-identified professional development, check with the teacher registration board/body in your State or Territory. The ECA Leadership Program has been mapped to the National Quality Framework and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. 

Yes, however the Leadership Program has been developed for the Australian context and if you wish to purchase the program, additional postage charges will apply for both the folder and the certificate. The program has also been designed for individual use and one completion certificate will be issued.

ECA is a non-profit organisation with proceeds directly supporting our work in advocating and influencing many significant issues relevant to the care, wellbeing and education of young children in Australia.

The Program costs include: covering the costs of the five-year Leadership Program development. The course will provide you with the only benchmark early childhood leadership skills and the price equates to the cost of a conference, but with more in-depth resources!

• $499 (incl. GST)
• ECA Member—15 per cent discount
• ECA Learning Hub Annual Subscription—10 per cent discount
• bulk (five or more purchases in the same transaction)—20 per cent discount
• both an ECA Member and a Learning Hub Subscriber—20 per cent discount.

Please note the ECA Leadership Program discounts cannot be combined and the price is subject to one discount application only.

Please contact leadership@earlychildhood.org.au specifying your question/problem and best contact details.

Please ensure that your unique registration code has been activated on the Leadership Program website. You will have received this in a separate email on the day of your registration. Once the code is activated, you will be asked to enter in your address. We will not be able to send your folder until these steps are taken.

Please contact leadership@earlychildhood.org.au with your question and best contact details. A member of the ECA Customer Service Team will chase up your order and return your email within three–five business days.

Please contact leadership@earlychildhood.org.au.

Please go to the lost password page to reset and if that isn’t working for you, please contact leadership@earlychildhood.org.au.