VECTEA PD Day 2026

More than 600 of our educators came together for VECTEA PD Day 2026 - stepping away from the everyday to learn together, reconnect and reflect on what matters most in early childhood education and care.

This year’s theme, ‘Safe places of being and belonging’, invited us to reflect on what safety and belonging truly mean for children, families, educators and communities.

Early childhood settings are not simply places children attend. They are places where children develop identity, relationships, confidence and a sense of self. To flourish, children need to feel safe, known and connected.

Across different sessions, speakers and presenters explored how being and belonging is created through relationships, trust, culture and everyday interactions.

Joy, gratitude and relationships

Throughout the day, we explored the role joy, gratitude and connection play in creating safe and responsive learning environments.

As Rebecca Hand, Director of Early Childhood Education at ECMS, shared:

“Joy is not a soft outcome. Joy can be the clearest signal of relational safety and deep learning.”

Cathy Little and Olivia Karaolis from the University of Sydney shared insights from ‘The Joy Project’, exploring how moments of joy emerge through relationships, shared experiences and everyday interactions in early learning environments. Discussing the importance of presence and connection in children’s lives, Cathy shared:

“Make those little people understand that they are, in that moment, the most important thing in your life.”

Often, these moments are small. A shared laugh. A child proudly showing an idea. A moment of trust. A feeling of ease within a learning environment. But these moments matter deeply.

Joy is not separate from learning. It can be evidence of safety, belonging and wellbeing.

Keynote speaker Dr Kerry Howells challenged educators to think about gratitude not as a feeling, but as a daily practice with the power to transform communities.

"When people feel truly seen and appreciated, communities become stronger, relationships deepen, and children feel safer and more connected."

Jaeden Williams-Briggs spoke about the importance of slowing down and creating space for connection to Country, inviting educators to reflect on regulation, rhythm, relationships, and how these shape feelings of safety and belonging.

“We need time. We need space and we need breath.”

Learning together

At ECMS, ongoing learning and professional development are an important part of how we continue strengthening practice and supporting educators in their work with children and families. VECTEA PD Day is one example of this commitment – creating space to reflect, learn, challenge thinking, share knowledge and continue growing in practice together.