News and Updates for the Sector

“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” — Mark 3:25

When Jesus spoke these words, He wasn’t only referring to conflict. He was pointing us back to purpose, unity, and identity. A divided house loses sight of its foundation, and the people within it start building separate rooms rather than a shared home.

In the early childhood education and care sector, this reality feels painfully familiar.

We see the lines being drawn: For-profit vs. Not-for-profit. Community-run vs. Private providers. Faith-based vs. Secular.

Instead of one ecosystem working for children, we often behave like factions competing for legitimacy, authority, or moral high ground. The narrative becomes about “who is better” rather than what is best.

But here is the uncomfortable truth:

The child does not care which banner we sit under.

They do not look at a centre and ask, “Are your profits reinvested into capital improvements?” or “Does your service operate as a social enterprise?” or “Are your shareholders local or overseas?”

The child asks: Am I safe? Am I known? Am I loved? Do I matter here?

And that should break our hearts.

When we lose the child, we lose the mission

Over the years, compliance has grown heavier, expectations have escalated, workforce shortages have deepened, and the public discourse has become increasingly adversarial. We talk about funding allocations, utilisation, occupancy rates, viability, grants, and surplus. We argue about who deserves the spotlight and who is harming the system.

Somewhere in this noise, we have allowed division to creep in. We have forgotten that the child is not a unit of measurement or an economic variable. They are an image-bearer of God — uniquely designed, intrinsically valuable, full of possibility.

As a peak body, we hear from educators across every model and context. We see:

• Private providers where children thrive because leadership is deeply servant-hearted.
• Community services full of passion.
• Faith-based centres that carry the heart of Jesus
• Independent operators who invest every spare dollar back into staff development and environments.

Quality is not owned by a business structure. Quality is stewarded by people , educators, leaders, owners, directors-  who refuse to compromise on the wellbeing of children.

A divided sector cannot stand

Division breeds defensiveness. Defensiveness breeds fear. Fear breeds suspicion. And suspicion suffocates collaboration.

When we paint all private services as “money machines” or all community services as “inefficient,” we dehumanise the people doing the work. And when we caricature one another, we stop seeing the educator on the other side of the fence — the person who loves children just as much as we do, who is carrying the same exhaustion, who is facing the same regulatory pressures.

We are all standing in the same storm. We simply hold different umbrellas.

We are called to something higher

We are not simply administrators of regulation. We are stewards of the early formation of human beings.

Our allegiance is not to a model. Our allegiance is to the child.

That is what unites us:

• A child’s right to a safe, nurturing environment.
• A child’s dignity regardless of postcode or profit margin.
• A child’s opportunity to flourish — intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, socially.
• A child’s freedom to grow into who God intended them to be.

This is Kingdom work.

Whether we wear a uniform of a large private chain, a tiny community preschool, or a Christian college-based service, our first identity is not our employer. Our first identity is educator. Our highest calling is stewardship. Our shared purpose is children.

If we spend our energy defending our camp, we will weaken our collective voice and fracture our calling.

If we anchor ourselves in Christ-like unity and humility, the house will stand.

A Prayer for Our Sector

Heavenly Father, We come before You as educators, leaders, and caretakers of Your children. Where division has grown, sow unity. Where mistrust has taken root, plant grace. Where pride has hardened our hearts, cultivate humility.

Help us see each other not through labels or structures, but through the shared purpose You have entrusted to us. Remind us that every child we serve carries Your image and Your hope. Strengthen us when the work is heavy, encourage us when we feel unseen, and guide us to lead with wisdom, compassion, and courage.

May our centres — whether community, private, school-based, or faith-based — be places of safety, belonging, and flourishing. Make us one house, united in purpose, so we may stand firm for the sake of the children You love so dearly.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The future of our sector will not be shaped by which model wins the argument – but by whether the child remains at the centre. CEL exists to connect, equip and elevate the Christian Early and Middle Learning Sector. Visit cel.edu.au