30 AprELAA recommends action on national Early Years Strategy
Australia does not have an overarching national strategy to support the early years. There is currently no plan ensuring all Australian children have the same access to the best quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC).
Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) has joined the national response to bridge this gap through a submission to the Commonwealth Government’s ‘Early Years Strategy’.
“A coherent Early Years Strategy would establish the foundations to underpin children’s development across Australia. One in five children do not get what they need at present and start school behind their peers. The Government can set high aspirations for a quality, well-connected system that supports all children, particularly those who are vulnerable, to thrive,” said Acting ELAA CEO, Megan O’Connell.
The ELAA Submission lays out four key principles and four policy priority recommendations for the strategy that the Commonwealth Government hopes will serve as a roadmap to a shared understanding of what children and families in Australia need in the early years, including:
- system centralisation
- increased focus on wrap-around services to promote participation and accessibility in ECEC
- co-government investment into the ECEC sector workforce
- funding models that promote self-determination and sustainability within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
CLICK to read our full submission to the Early Years Strategy.
