25 July 2024
Looking to help children aged 0-5 ‘learn, grow and thrive’, the Australian Government has drafted a new Early Years Strategy.
Here’s what it means for you.
What is the Early Years Strategy?
The Strategy is a statement of intent that pulls together lots of different areas of expertise to work out the best ways to improve the lives of 0-5 year-olds over the next 10 years. It has brought together lots of different groups and voices, including early years educators, parents and caregivers, state and territory governments, communities, health professionals, charities and others. It even asked 3-5 year-olds about what’s important to them. The Government has listened to all their ideas and perspectives to create an integrated approach with everyone getting involved.
Its vision is for all children to have access to early childhood education and care, to keep children safe, healthy, learning and confident. At the moment, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are the most likely to benefit from early years care and the least likely to use it. There are lots of reasons for this (and they’re not just cost-related), so the new strategy looks holistically at how to get more kids to benefit, to streamline the system and to prioritise children’s development and wellbeing.
Which of course, means having enough qualified educators to look after them.
The strategy aims to:
• value the early years
• empower parents, caregivers and families
• support and work with communities
• strengthen accountability and coordination
What will change?
Instead of having lots of separate policies, programs and funding, the Government is bringing everything together to create an overarching integrated vision for early years kids. Three new action plans will be released over the next 10 years, with the first one due later this year.
Early years care and education is just one part of this jigsaw, but the Government’s to-do list here includes:
- continuing the Child Care Subsidy reforms
- working with childcare providers to chart the best course to universal early childcare education
- putting money towards the professional development and recruitment of childcare workers to build a high-quality workforce
What it means for you
The Strategy’s education pillar includes a commitment to support, attract and retain Early Childhood Education and Care workers by subsidising professional training, as well as working with state and territory governments to improve opportunities, pay and support.
At Child Care Super we believe that its key recommendations reinforce the need for affordable early learning services for all Australian families. To achieve this, there is a clear critical need for the Australian Government to contribute to a successful wages outcome via the supported bargaining process currently in play.
Child Care Super’s Head of Advocacy Christina Hobbs said:
“Child Care Super supports the interests of early years providers and educators, and welcomes the government’s more holistic approach to improving early childhood outcomes.
“By including diverse perspectives, this roadmap aims to get everyone working together so that early years educators get what they need, including training support and opportunities for growth. We will continue to advocate for the childcare sector and to bring our voice to parliament in shaping its future.
“It’s clear that to deliver on this strategy, the workforce must be the key priority. We look forward to seeing a commitment from Government to fund wage increases through the ongoing bargaining process.”
Read it your way
Read the full Early Years Strategy here, or a simple version here.
You can also read it in other languages, including Auslan, here.