Early Learning Association Australia

What Early Learning Association Australia does

Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) is a Victorian peak body for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, operating as a membership-based not-for-profit headquartered on Wurundjeri Country in Brunswick East, Victoria. Established in 2017 as the successor to Kindergarten Parents Victoria, ELAA delivers advocacy, advisory services, professional development, and compliance resources to not-for-profit kindergartens, long day care services, Early Years Manager organisations, and individual educators across the state.

The organization's core offerings are digital-first and content-driven. Its member portal, online training modules, and video library form the primary delivery surface, anchored by proprietary subscription resources including the PolicyWorks Catalogue (a customisable policy and procedure management system), BudgetWorks and ModelWorks manuals, the Committee of Management Governance Guide, the Employment and Onboarding Guide, and the Risk Management Tool. Advisory and consultancy services, payroll calculation support under VECTEA, and the Starting Out Safely road safety education program round out the portfolio. Member spotlights and board representation include major Early Years Managers such as ECMS, Glen Education, and Meli.

ELAA's revenue model is diversified across five streams: recurring annual membership fees (renewing June 30), paid training events with member/non-member price differentials, subscription-based resource sales (e.g., PolicyWorks at $120 member / $1,075 non-member), advertising across newsletter (6,000+ reach), website, and Facebook (13,500 followers), and job board postings ($150 per ad for non-members; free for members). Distribution is primarily self-serve digital via the member portal, supplemented by in-person events at venues such as Docklands, Zoom webinars, and self-paced online modules. Strategic partnerships include anzuk Education as job board sponsor, WorkSafe Victoria for OHS initiatives, and Termina for member cost-saving benefits.

Name

Early Learning Association Australia

Legal name

Early Learning Association Australia

Website

https://elaa.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Early Learning Association Australia is a Victorian peak body for the early childhood education and care sector, providing advocacy, advisory services, training, and compliance resources to not-for-profit kindergartens, long day care services, and educators through a membership-based model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Care Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Service Professional Development (Workshops/Institutes/Short Courses) (EDACAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

ECE Leadership & Administration Training (Directors/Owners/Supervisors) (EDACAIAD), Training & Credential Compliance Tracking (PD registry alignment) (EDACAKAH)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• ECEC sector membership
• Policy compliance resources
• Governance training services
• Professional development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Fitzroy

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to advisory services, resources, training discounts, job board, and other member benefits. Membership renewals occur on June 30 annually.
2. Training and Events: Revenue from in-person events (face-to-face seminars, workshops), webinars, and Zoom meetings. Pricing varies: members receive discounted rates compared to non-members.
3. Resources and Subscriptions: Sales of paid resources and annual subscriptions including PolicyWorks Catalogue ($120 member/$1,075 non-member), Committee of Management Governance Guide ($96.80 member/$891 non-member), Risk Management Tool ($15 member/$20 non-member), and Road Sign Kit ($50).
4. Advertising: Revenue from advertising across ELAA website, ELAAvate newsletter (6,000+ contacts), and Facebook page (13,500 followers). Options include display ads, sponsored articles, and banner advertising with various price points.
5. Job Board: Job posting fees for non-members ($150 per job ad). Free for ELAA members. Weekly job board alert distributed to 2,500+ subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ELAA is the peak body and membership association for early childhood education and care services in Victoria, Australia. It provides advisory and consultancy services, HR/IR and payroll support, professional development through events and self-paced training modules, policy and governance resources via subscriptions such as the PolicyWorks Catalogue, sector advocacy to government, and specialised initiatives including Starting Out Safely road safety education.

Product overview

Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) offers a comprehensive suite of membership-based products and services for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. The core offering centers on the PolicyWorks Catalogue subscription, which provides policy and procedure templates for compliance. Supporting resources include free tools like BudgetWorks and ModelWorks manuals, a Video Library of governance tutorials, and Self-Paced Training Modules covering governance, HR, and financial management. Additional services include Advisory Services for expert guidance, Payroll Calculations assistance, and the Starting Out Safely road safety education initiative. The organization also provides paid subscriptions for governance guides, risk management tools, and employment resources, along with interactive Events including face-to-face seminars and webinars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ELAA Membership Annual membership providing Victorian early childhood education and care services with access to advisory services, training discounts, the job board, member portal resources, and advocacy representation. Membership renews on 30 June annually.
• Payroll Calculations Service Employer assistance service for VECTEA employee classification, pro-rata annual leave calculations, and long service leave entitlements for early childhood services.
• Advisory Services Expert advice on governance, HR, industrial relations, and payroll matters delivered to early childhood education and care services through the Member Solutions Team.
• Consultancy Services Expert consultancy partners working with ECEC services to find solutions, accessed via ELAA's Member Solutions Team.
• PolicyWorks Catalogue Annual subscription service providing policy and procedure templates for ECEC services to meet legislative, regulatory, and funding requirements. Members pay $120, non-members pay $1,075 annually.
• Committee of Management Governance Guide Annual subscription guide providing governance frameworks and best practices for Committees of Management in early childhood services. Members $96.80, non-members $891.
• Employment and Onboarding Guide Annual subscription guide covering employee hiring, onboarding processes, and employment best practices for early childhood services.
• Self-Paced Training Modules Flexible, on-demand online training modules covering governance, HR, financial management, employee management, and committee responsibilities for ECEC services.
• Video Library Free short educational video resources (10-15 minutes each) providing governance guidance for approved providers managing early childhood services.
• Events (In-Person/Webinars/Zoom) Interactive learning opportunities including face-to-face seminars, webinars, and Zoom meetings covering OHS, governance, committee essentials, policy, and other ECEC topics. Members receive discounted rates.
• Starting Out Safely Road safety education program for early childhood services, including the ThingleToodle session program. Operated as ELAA's road safety education initiative in partnership with sector stakeholders.
• Risk Management Tool Risk management tool for early childhood services, also included within the PolicyWorks subscription. Members $15, non-members $20.
• Road Sign Kit Physical road safety education resource kit containing road signs for teaching children about road safety, sold at $50 plus $20 postage and handling.
• BudgetWorks v5 Manual Free manual providing budget planning and financial management guidance for early childhood services.
• ModelWorks v5 Manual Free manual providing model templates and frameworks for early childhood service operations.
• ELAA Job Board Online job board for early childhood sector employment opportunities. Free for ELAA members and $150 per job ad for non-members, with weekly alerts to 2,500+ subscribers.
• Advertising Placements Advertising placements across the ELAA website, member portal, ELAAvate newsletter, and Facebook page, with display ads, sponsored articles, banner ads, and boosted posts available.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TerminaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025New partnership announced in August 2025 as 'Helping you save' initiative. Termina appears to be a cost-saving partner for ELAA members.
• anzuk EducationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred Partner and sponsor of ELAA Job Board. anzuk Education is an education recruitment specialist. They co-host annual Early Childhood Awards recognizing excellence in the sector. The partnership provides exclusive job board sponsorship and co-branded award events.
• Davis Street KindergartenminorOthersHugh Bastiaan, Group COO at William Buck, serves as President of Davis Street Kindergarten (not-for-profit community sessional kindergarten in Kew).
• Maribyrnong KindergartenminorOthersLeanne Bilinski, former President of Maribyrnong Kindergarten, a not-for-profit community run kinder with integrated bush kinder program.
• City of KingstonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerELAA supports City of Kingston's Grow Together Conference for early childhood sector.
• WorkSafe VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerELAA participates in WorkSafe Health & Social Assistance Group and sector working groups. Partnership on OHS initiatives including psychological health regulations and Safety - Not Just Child's Play program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Early Learning Australia (CELA): Peak body for community-owned early childhood education and care services in Australia. Comparable to ELAA in providing advisory, training, advocacy, and resource services to not-for-profit ECE providers.
• Early Childhood Australia: National peak body advocating for quality early childhood education. Offers advocacy, publications, training, and sector resources comparable to ELAA's mix, though with a broader national rather than state-focused remit.
• Australian Childcare Alliance: Advocacy group for private long day care operators across Australia. Comparable to ELAA in providing sector advocacy and member services, though focused on private providers rather than the not-for-profit kindergarten/ECEC segment ELAA primarily serves.
• Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA): National peak body for early childhood education and care in Australia. Directly comparable to ELAA as a sector advocacy and member support organization; ELAA's Director of Advocacy (Sally Maddison) previously led evidence-based advocacy at ELACCA.
• Gowrie Australia: Federation of Gowrie ECE services across Australia providing professional development, training, and sector support. Comparable to ELAA's training and resource offerings; operates at a national scale vs. ELAA's Victorian focus.

Others

• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest not-for-profit early learning provider. While not a peak body, comparable to ELAA's member organizations and provides an adjacent view of the Victorian ECE market ELAA serves.
• KU Children's Services: One of Australia's largest not-for-profit children's services organizations operating preschools, long day care, and outside school hours care. Comparable to ELAA's large EYM members; serves as a relevant peer in the Victorian ECE ecosystem.
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): Premier US-based membership organization for ECE professionals, offering accreditation, training, publications, and advocacy. Comparable to ELAA as the leading peak body model for ECE sector support, though operating in a different regulatory environment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/elaaustralia
• Xx.com/ELAAustralia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Early Learning Association Australia