Episode 2: Our deadly workforce and the strength of culturally safe early childhood education

In this episode of Kids, Culture, Community – SNAICC Yarns, proud Noongar woman and SNAICC National Workforce Advisor, Miranda Edwards, sits down with this episode's host Michael Lynch on Wurundjeri Country in Narrm for a yarn about the strength of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood education and care workforce. Miranda reflects on her journey from secondary school teacher to the leader of one of the most respected Aboriginal-led early childhood centres, Lulla's Children and Family Centre on Yorta Yorta and Bangerang Country. She talks about the beginnings of Lulla's, the struggles services face with funding, the importance of culturally safe educational spaces, and what it means to support Aboriginal children to be school-ready from birth. Together, the two discuss how proper recognition and funding for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce and community-led services mean that great things happen.Miranda talks about the cultural knowledge and love of the job that educators bring to services and the long-overdue recognition that educators deserve. She unpacks the ECEC Workforce Retention Grant, which was announced in December 2024 and provides a 15% wage increase over two years to educators, and the role that SNAICC plays in assisting services across the continent in navigating the process—from eligibility to application—and the importance of applying by June 30, 2025. She discusses how SNAICC is assisting Aboriginal-led services with guidance on the wage increase to ensure educators are valued and retained—because, as she puts it, the workforce deserves it.Keep the conversation going—follow, subscribe, and share this podcast to help amplify the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families, and communities. Visit SNAICC’s website to learn more, access resources and find out how you can get involved.