CLOSING THE GAP

NATIONAL POLICY TO
DRIVE IMPROVEMENT
IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION OUTCOMES
Early childhood education is a collaborative effort
across all governments. Under the National Partnership
Agreement (NPA) on Universal Access to Early Childhood
Education, the Commonwealth is providing over
$840 million over 2016 and 2017 to states and
territories to ensure every Australian child has
access to quality early childhood education
programs for 15 hours per week in the year before
formal school, regardless of the setting. The
agreement has a strong focus on participation by
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Better integration of services has been identified as
an effective way to improve support for vulnerable
children and families. From 2016-17, the Government is
investing $10 million annually through the Community
Child Care Fund to integrate early childhood,
maternal and child health and family support
services with schools in a number of disadvantaged
Indigenous communities. The focus is on supporting
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families so their
children make a positive transition to school.
BUILDING THE EVIDENCE
For nearly ten years, a major longitudinal research
study, Footprints in Time has followed the lives of
around 1,700 Indigenous families. This study by the
National Centre for Longitudinal Data, within the
Department of Social Services, collects information on
health, development, education, family relationships,
culture, community as well as many other issues.
The study employs Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander staff to conduct face-to-face interviews.
Among many other findings, the study has recently
provided robust evidence of the importance of
early childhood education and care programs
in boosting cognitive and developmental
outcomes among Indigenous children.
Early childhood programs currently being evaluated
include the Australian Nurse-Family Partnership
Program, Stronger Communities for Children and the
Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) being used in some
Supported Playgroups. Findings from these evaluations
will strengthen our understanding of early childhood
development and inform future policy and programs.
TRANSLATING POLICY INTO ACTION
Preparing children for school
In some areas, particularly remote communities,
additional support is required. In addition to the
Commonwealth’s contribution for child care subsidies
and preschool funding, the Indigenous Advancement
Strategy supports almost 400 early childhood activities
for children, families and communities in preschools and
early childhood education, where the need is greatest.
Additional programs preparing Indigenous
children for school include:
• The Home Interaction Program for Parents and
Youngsters which works with families in the home
to create a positive learning environment for four
and five year-olds in preparation for school.
• The Stronger Communities for Children program
which delivers community-led service design in
ten remote communities in the Northern Territory.
Local people have a real say in what services
they need and how they are delivered.
• Families as First Teachers which delivers quality
early childhood engagement using the Australian
Abecedarian Approach to empower parents as
the first and primary educators of their children.
•30• CLOSING THE GAP: PRIME MINISTER'S REPORT 2017