This policy brief explores 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.

From earaches to tonsillitis, children can suffer from a variety of issues that need prompt attention. The impact of a problem with the ear, nose and/or throat can impede everything from children’s ability to build relationships with other children and adults, get a good night’s rest, and eat a meal. As the weather grows cooler...

Recent years have seen the rise of probiotic supplementation in our food and the promotion of probiotics as dietary supplements. Probiotics are generally advertised as an aid to gut health and are specifically touted as being of assistance for conditions as varied as diarrhoea, infant colic and allergy. However, the evidence on probiotic effectiveness for...

Of the Australian children who start their first year of formal full-time school each year, the majority start with their development on track and ready to take advantage of everything that school has to offer. About four per cent of children will start school with a significant developmental delay or disability that has been clearly...

In 2012-13 the Australian Government funded the Murdoch Childrens' Reserach Institute to implement a 12-month Let’s Read national early literacy campaign. Building on existing evidence-based programs, the Let’s Read campaign engaged families, professionals and communities to promote high quality early literacy environments for children from birth to 5 years. This literature review was conducted during...