DUBBO:
Western Plains Zoo 2019

The inaugural Rural+Remote Forum was hosted by CCSA in Dubbo. The forum was an opportunity for services operating in rural, regional and remote to connect with each other, share idea, raise questions and celebrate successes.

The keynote speakers at the event were Stan Grant and Mem Fox. Minister Sarah Mitchell attended to speak with and meet delegates.

98%

of delegates
said the Forum was worthwhile

130+

delegates from across
New South Wales

2

Full Days of Activities
and Connection

Key Themes.

Bring the Voices Together.
The two-day Forum was an opportunity
for ECEC services operating in rural and
remote parts of Australia to engage with
each other to share ideas, raise questions
and concerns, celebrate successes and hear
from sector experts and policy makers.

See an overview of our inaugural Forum.

Hearing Stan Grant
and laughing with
Mem Fox.

We heard from Stan Grant – who took the time to give us a real life perspective on Aboriginal Culture and the lost generation- moving forward to learn about topics such as the Uluru Statement of the Heart.

Read our Article about Stan Grant’s Keynote

The Unique
Challenges Discussed.

Services located in regional, rural and remote locations face unique challenges, these include:

The correlation and interaction between remoteness and socio-economic disadvantage
– this correlates with higher levels of developmental vulnerability in children. Funding model issues are key to change.
Staff experience isolation and miss out on networking an opportunity to connect.
ECEC services play extremely important roles in broader communities.

This was definitely one of the best forums I have been to. The presenters were inspiring. We loved how engaging the practical workshops break out groups were. Thank you for allowing everyone to have a voice.
DELEGATE FEEDBACK

Three Key Themes Discussed

Over the time of the Forum there were 3 key themes that arose from the

Connecting – We discussed the issues that exist for Rural communities feeling disconnected from the rest of the sector.
Equity – ensuring that all Children have access to ECEC services, particularly vulnerable families.
Innovation – ECEC communities in the rural and remote environment have a great strength, passion and resilience. Celebrating diversity and our ability to reflect & adapt tp emerging new challenges.