Catharine Hydon

Catharine Hydon is the Director and Principal Consultant at Hydon Consulting. Over the last 15 years she has worked with a range of organisations and governments to understand and articulate quality and inspire change. With a Masters in early childhood education, Catharine has extensive experience in the early childhood sector beginning as a teacher in a kindergarten program in the northern suburbs of Melbourne to lead roles in a range of services and projects for children and their families. 

Catharine draws on her experience and ongoing practice research to consider how theory connects and informs practice.  Specialising in early childhood practice and pedagogy, quality improvement, policy and governance, the delivery of integrated services to engage vulnerable children and their families.

Catharine’s involvement in the early childhood sector is an important part of her commitment to the outcomes for children.  She is a long-time member of Early Childhood Australia (ECA) currently serving as the Co-chair of the Reconciliation Advisory Group and is a regular contributor in ECA publications. Catharine has been a member of the ECA Code of Ethics working group for the last two reviews and is a co-author on the recently published Ethics in Action Implementation guide. Catharine is a Board Member of the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA)¹, a member of the Early Years-10 Curriculum and Assessment Committee for the VCAA and has recently been appointed as a second-tier reviewer for ACECQA.²

Catharine is a dynamic speaker and collaborative facilitator and is skilled at engaging professionals in reflective dialogue and creative conversations.  

Qualifications: Dip Teaching (Early Childhood); MEd (Early Childhood Education)