Refusing to silence early childhood voices: The establishment of the early childhood voices conference

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the voices of early childhood researchers and professionals became a whisper. To bring together interdisciplinary professionals who work with children, a global interdisciplinary virtual conference called the Early Childhood Voices Conference was first held in 2020 (ECV2020) and again in 2022 (ECV2022). Three values underpinning the conferences were: (a) children first; (b) interdisciplinary, international, and accessible participation; and (c) purposeful research mentoring. The conferences involved online national and international keynote and oral presentations that were viewed asynchronously. The conferences were free for presenters and attendees, drawing on Charles Sturt University’s motto “for the public good”. ECV2020 had a global reach beyond expectations, with 2847 registrations from 70 countries. ECV2022 had 1956 registrations from 72 countries and children’s voices were a larger focus via the Children Draw Talking Global Online Gallery. ECV2022 introduced face-to-face synchronous conversations with five Yarning Circles. The Early Childhood Voices Conference is now bi-annual, providing a free international scientific platform to share research about innovative methods, theories, and partnerships with children, parents/carers, and professionals supporting social justice and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This chapter describes the organisation, lessons learned, and future possibilities for the voices of children, early childhood researchers and professionals to be heard internationally.