Rationale of the task:A policy briefing tests your ability to identify and describe concisely the key issues, existing policy options, identify the gaps and make recommendations on the best option. The skills you acquire are: capacity for summarising complex social problems in a concise fashion, to review and evaluate complex policy options and recommendations.
Details of task:This task requires students to write a policy brief on anyONEchosen social issue. The format will be an abridged version (to allow for appropriate word count) of the social policy briefings prepared by the Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Extensive examples are available at the following website:https://www.rch.org.au/ccch/policybrief/
The policy briefing will draw on current research and evidence-informed practice and explore:
- Brief introduction (100 words)
- Why the issue is important (200 words)
- What the research tells us (500 words)
- What the implications of the research are (200 words)
- Considerations for policy and practice.(200 words)
Word limit:1200 words (A variation of 10+/- %)
Due Date: 30/11 2019 Rationale of the task: A policy briefing tests your ability to identify and describe concisely the key issues, existing policy options, identify the gaps and make recommendations on the best option. The skills you acquire are: capacity for summarising complex social problems in a concise fashion, to review and evaluate complex policy options and recommendations. Details of task: This task requires students to write a policy brief on any ONE chosen social issue. The format will be an abridged version (to allow for appropriate word count) of the social policy briefings prepared by the Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Extensive examples are available at the following website: https://www.rch.org.au/ccch/policybrief/ The policy briefing will draw on current research and evidence-informed practice and explore: · Brief introduction (100 words) · Why the issue is important (200 words) · What the research tells us (500 words) · What the implications of the research are (200 words) · Considerations for policy and practice. (200 words) Word limit: 1200 words (A variation of 10+/- %) Value: 35% Assessment Criteria: The course coordinator or tutor will assess this task. Students are to submit this task via Moodle. Students will receive written feedback via Moodle. The criteria and weighting are as follows: · Capacity to situate the policy area in a broader relevant context (through the brief introduction) and articulate why the issue is important (reflecting understanding of current research literature on the topic) (20%) · Capacity to analyse and present four key themes within the research literature (40%) · Capacity to articulate the implications of the research in relation to the policy topic (20%) · Capacity to identify and articulate consideration for policy and programs, showing strong relation to the broader context and research literature (20%) · Please note: The marking of each criteria will reflect clarity of written expression, relevance and strength of arguments, cohesiveness across assessment task as a whole, and strict adherence to APA referencing. Centre for Community Child Health Synthesising research evidence to inform decision making Policy Brief No. 26 July 2014 The future of early childhood education and care services in Australia The past decade has seen an unprecedented policy focus in Australia upon services for children during the early years. This has occurred in response to a growing body of research highlighting the importance of the early years. Progress in regards to early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in the policy arena is often overshadowed by simplistic views and debates in the broader public arena regarding young children. For example, the misconception that child care is ‘bad’ for young children disrupts attempts to move public debate towards how we can build a high quality ECEC service system. In this Policy Brief, we explore four key issues pertaining to the future of early childhood education and care in Australia: the importance of early childhood, quality early childhood education and care, service integration, and the inclusion of children with disability and developmental delays. Although significant improvements have been made recently in Australia in regards to ECEC, it is important that as a nation we carefully consider decisions regarding the ECEC service system and do not lose sight of the profound role that the service system plays in building the foundation for Australia’s future prosperity. Why is this issue important? Australia’s ECEC services and the ECEC service system are at a critical turning point. A range of positive developments have been introduced, including high level strategies and initiatives such as the National Early Childhood Development Strategy and the National Quality Agenda*. The Australian Productivity Commission is about to release the results of its child care and early learning inquiry and there has been heightened media interest in issues such as the role of ECEC services in supporting women in the workforce. These initiatives and activities represent good progress towards essential ECEC service system reform. However, it is important to highlight that this is a starting point and not an end point; there continues to be a need for economic and policy reform around our ECEC system. Such reform will have implications for young children and their families, as well as implications for Australia’s social and economic future. What does the research tell us? The importance of the early years There is a growing acceptance among scholars, professionals and policy makers regarding the importance of the early years.1 As we learn more about the way in which experiences in the early years shape health, development and well-being and the extent of these influences over the life course, the fundamental importance of these years becomes increasingly apparent. Experiences during the early years – including in- utero – have life-long effects on later achievements, social adjustment, mental and physical health and life expectancy.2 Chronic exposure to adverse experiences such as child abuse and neglect causes physiological disruptions that affect the developing brain and other biological systems in ways that can lead to long-term impairment and a range of problems throughout the life course and into adult life.3 Policy Brief No. 26 July 2014: The future of early childhood education and care services in Australia 1 * Also known as the National Partnership Agreement on the National Quality Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care. Policy Brief 2 Policy Brief No. 26 July 2014: The future of early childhood education and care services in Australia Differences between children from advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds are present from birth.4 These developmental discrepancies appear across cognitive, social, behavioural, and health outcomes. Development discrepancies increase over time, and advantages and disadvantages accumulate.5 The importance of high quality ECEC Attendance at high quality early childhood services has positive impacts on children’s cognitive development and learning, both in the short- and long-term.6 When early childhood education and care programs are high quality, they make a positive contribution to the development and school readiness of all children who participate.7 High quality preschool education delivers positive academic and social-behavioural outcomes well into the later years of school, particularly for young children with a poor home learning environment.8 Numerous studies have shown that high quality ECEC services lead to large returns on investment.9 Some of the most dramatic cost benefits of individual early childhood programs have been those that target disadvantaged families. However, ECEC services benefit all families when they enable participation in the workforce; contributing indirectly to economic benefits for families and society as a whole through, higher productivity and life-time earnings and increased taxation revenues.10 High quality early childhood programs yield more positive benefits than those of lesser quality, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.11 Nevertheless in Australia, access to and utilisation of ECEC services by families from disadvantaged backgrounds is lower than families from more advantaged backgrounds. The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children found 10-12 per cent of children from the lowest income quartile did not attend any form of preschool education compared with approximately 2 per cent of children from the highest quartile.12 One response to limited access and utilisation of services is a targeted approach (i.e. providing services to a specific group of people, rather than universal provision). However, in universal systems, coverage is greater for all children (including for targeted groups) and service quality tends to be better.13 The importance of integrated ECEC services Traditionally, ECEC services have been conceptualised and run as services for children only, with little or no involvement of, or consideration of parents’ needs. While this model may work reasonably well for those children whose home environments are appropriately nurturing and stimulating, it does not work well for those who come from homes that are less able to provide such care. The needs of children cannot be separated from the needs of their families because children – especially young children – are profoundly influenced by their families and the family environment.14 Many Australian children and families face complex or ‘wicked’ problems, with multiple, interconnected causes that are beyond the capacity of any one organisation.15 This is why integrated services that can respond to the diverse and changing needs of children and families are important.16 By merging or integrating, services can provide a more holistic approach and improve access to services for families. Although there are some examples of integrated ECEC services, the Australian ECEC service system is largely not operating in an integrated way and, as a result, families often do not receive cohesive support.17 The result of a poorly integrated service system is service system inefficiency, and families have difficulties navigating the system and getting the support they need.18 One of the reasons services struggle to provide integrated responses is the fragmented nature of funding arrangements. Funding to support families with young children takes a number of forms, including paid parental leave, family tax benefits and ECEC subsidies and rebates. Policies to boost labour force participation and the rebates and subsidies relating to the use of early years services, program funding and welfare benefits, can paradoxically create disincentives for workforce participation. While there is strength in the Australian system, there are anomalies and distributional distortions that prevent the system from guaranteeing affordable, accessible, quality ECEC provision for those who need it most.19 Integration of services is not always necessary or viable, but greater integration in ECEC services can offer many benefits by reducing complexity and duplication, and being more responsive to the needs of families. ECEC for children with disabilities and developmental delay A 2012 study, using Australian Early Development Index data, found that 4 per cent of Australian children were reported as having established special health care needs (including developmental disabilities), and a further 18 per cent were identified by teachers as ‘of concern’.20 These children showed higher rates of vulnerability across all domains of development. www.rch.org.au/ccch/policybrief Policy Brief No. 26 July 2014: The future of early childhood education and care services in Australia 3 The national frameworks that are currently shaping early childhood services – the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Agenda – are meant to apply to all children.21 In other words, all ECEC services should be designed so as to cater for the full diversity of children, including those with developmental disabilities. A recent review of the Early Childhood Development workforce by the Productivity