Two Days · Sydney
Summit Agenda
Day 1 examines reform, workforce and quality. Day 2 turns to child safety, cultural inclusion and financial sustainability — with concurrent breakout streams.
08:10
admin
Registration
08:40
admin
Welcome to Country
08:50
chair
Chairperson's Opening Address
Theme
From Reform to Reality: Can the System Deliver?
09:00
keynote
09:50
keynote
10:20
keynote
10:50
break
Morning Tea & Coffee
Theme
Workforce & Recruitment
11:10
panel
12:00
keynote
12:30
keynote
1:00
break
Lunch
Theme
Strengthening Quality & Safety Across Early Childhood Education
1:50
keynote
Concurrent Breakouts — attendees can move freely between Stream A and Stream B sessions.
2:20
STREAM A · RETENTION & TRAINING
Beyond burnout: Why educator wellbeing must become a leadership priority
- Consequences when educator wellbeing is treated as an individual responsibility rather than a system design challenge.
- How leadership, culture and proactive wellbeing strategies influence engagement, retention and quality of care.
STREAM B · LEGAL RISK, GOVERNANCE & PUBLIC TRUST
Understanding legal exposure in a higher accountability environment
- Where are providers most exposed from a legal and compliance perspective?
- Emerging legal risks, director liability, and what constitutes a defensible position under the evolving ECEC regulatory framework.
2:50
STREAM A · RETENTION & TRAINING
Retention in a high-pressure system: What actually keeps educators in the sector?
- The real drivers of retention beyond pay and qualifications.
- Organisational, cultural and leadership factors that improve retention and reduce burnout.
STREAM B · LEGAL RISK, GOVERNANCE & PUBLIC TRUST
Leading through crisis: Governance, media and reputation management
- How prepared are organisations to respond with clarity, accountability, and control when incidents become public?
- Leadership, governance and communication strategies to protect reputation and maintain stakeholder trust.
3:15
break
Afternoon Tea
Theme
Inspiring Example: What Good Looks Like
3:45
case
4:15
panel
5:00
chair
Chairperson's Closing Remarks
5:10
break