All parents/guardians with a child attending an early childhood education service managed by ECKA, are members of ECKA Inc. ECKA is licensed by the Department of Education (DE) to operate children’s services, and as such are responsible for ensuring compliance with State Government licensing requirements.  All early childhood services managed by ECKA provide a State Government funded kindergarten program for children in the two years before they attend school.

ECKA Management and Administration Staff are responsible for all operational aspects of the early childhood education service, including managing staff, financial management, maintenance and compliance.

ECKA is operated by a Board of Management as required under the ECKA Constitution. The Board consists of 5-11 elected representatives.

Board members are volunteers who are chosen to ensure the Board has a wide range of skills, experience and expertise, such as Business Management, Finance/Accounting, Legal, Education, Governance, HR and Communications.

ECKA employs Administrative Staff to undertake, under the direction of the Board, the day to day running of the organisation. The Board are responsible for the broader issues such as; development of policy direction, ensuring the proper financial operation of ECKA, compliance with legislative requirements, strategic development and direction for the organisation.

•  When recruiting members to the board, the board must ensure that the provisions in the ECKA constitution with regard to membership, term of office, tenure of members etc. are complied with.
• Members of the ECKA Board are responsible for identifying new board members and contacting potential members for the ECKA Board and it sub-committees.  Where there is a need to fill a casual vacancy on the ECKA Board, Board members are responsible to identify an appropriate candidate.

There are currently no ECKA Board positions available.

Please contact the ECKA CEO on 0400 089 143 if you have any enquiries.

The Upskill Individual Program has been designed specifically for early childhood educators who want to take the next step in their career by undertaking a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.

The Upskill Individual Program provides simple tools, peer-to-peer support, mentoring, and online resources to help you move confidently through your early childhood teaching degree and into your first years as a qualified teacher.

The Upskill Individual Program will:

• support you to make the transition to university study.
• help you gain confidence in your practice.
• provide you with access to exclusive leadership and professional development opportunities.
• connect you with a network of fellow early childhood educators and teachers.

For more information visit Upskill program (thefrontproject.org.au)

The Victorian Government is partnering with the following universities to support eligible Victorian educators to upskill to become qualified early childhood teachers:

• Australian Catholic University
• Deakin University
• Victoria University

These programs can be completed in a compressed timeframe of between 18 months and two years. Courses are delivered via a combination of online, face to face and intensive study options, and recognition of prior study and professional experience.

Students (educators) can stay in the workforce while they learn.

For more information visit Innovative early childhood teaching courses | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)

Applications are invited from Cert III, Diploma and Bachelor Trained Early Childhood Educators for casual positions.

Expressions of interest are invited from Certificate III Early Childhood Educators who would like to undertake a workplace traineeship whilst studying for your Diploma in Early Childhood Education.

To apply for a Relief Staff position, please download the Relief Staff Application Form

Essential Criteria

• Qualifications; Early Childhood Teacher or Equivalent
• VIT ECT Registration
• First Aid HLTAID004

Key Selection Criteria

• Excellent knowledge of and ability to implement the NQF
• Thorough knowledge of Early Years Learning Frameworks and ability to apply
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Demonstrated ability to work as a team member

Position objective

• Develop and provide a high quality developmentally appropriate educational program for the children in consultation with ECKA and the parents of children attending.
• Provide educational leadership while working as a member of a collaborative service team, to provide a developmentally appropriate educational program
• Operate in a professional manner at all times, complying with the requirements of the National Quality Framework, including the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 and Regulation, National Quality Standard and current Learning Frameworks; Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and all ECKA policies and Procedures

Essential criteria

• Certificate III in Children’s services
• Working with Children’s Check
• First Aid HLTAID004

Key Selection Criteria

•  Excellent knowledge of and ability to implement the NQF
• Thorough knowledge of Early Years Learning Frameworks and ability to apply
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Demonstrated ability to work as a team member

Position Objective

• Work cooperatively and professionally as a member of a team to assist in the provision of a high quality developmentally appropriate educational program
• Operate in a professional manner at all times, complying with the requirements of the National Quality Framework, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and all ECKA Policies and Procedures

Early Childhood Scholarships are available to help people build their careers in early childhood education, without an additional financial burden.

The Early Childhood Scholarships and the Early Childhood Aboriginal pathway scholarship initiatives are part of the Victorian Government’s $370 million investment to bolster our kindergarten workforce.

Scholarships can be used to pay for course fees, living costs while you study, or other costs associated with your education.

To view or apply for scholarships via the early childhood scholarships and incentives application portal.

Under the Victorian Early Childhood Teacher Incentives program, there are two types of financial incentives available for qualified early childhood teachers from July 2023 to June 2024:

• Individual incentives of $9,000 (before tax) are available for eligible early childhood teachers working outside the Victorian early childhood sector to take up a teaching role at any service delivering, or planning to deliver, funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2024.
• Location incentives of between $9,000 to $50,000 (before tax) are available for eligible early childhood teachers who take up a teaching role at selected services.

Eligible applicants who meet the criteria for both types of incentives will be able to receive both payments.

A relocation supplement of between $1,000 to $8,000 will also be available for incentive recipients who relocate more than 100km from their current place of residence to take up a role.

Click Here to view the Victorian Government guidelines for Teacher Incentives.

Under the Targeted Educator Incentives program, there are two types of educator incentives available for qualified early childhood educators from July 2023 to June 2024:

• Individual incentives of $9,000 (before tax) for eligible educators working outside funded kindergarten in the Victorian early childhood education sector, to take up a role in a kindergarten program at any service delivering funded Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in 2024.
• Location incentives of $9,000 (before tax) for eligible educators to take up a role in a kindergarten program at selected services.

Eligible applicants who meet the criteria for both types of incentives will be able to receive both payments.

A relocation supplement of between $1,000 to $8,000 will also be available for incentive recipients who relocate more than 100km from their current place of residence to take up a role.

Click Here to view the Victorian Government Educator Incentive Guidelines.