Outcome 4: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive in their early years

Target 4: By 2031, increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children assessed as developmentally on track in all five domains of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) to 55 per cent.

Minister(s) responsible

Minister for Early Childhood Education, Minister for Education

Productivity Commission national progress against the target

The path forward

A strong start in life provides the necessary foundation for the years ahead. Increased access to preschool and early childhood education and care through Outcome 3 will support better Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) outcomes for First Nations children. The Commonwealth has begun to address First Nations children meeting all five AEDC domains, by addressing multiple interconnected socio‑economic factors like health, education and employment that contribute to a child’s development. Strong early childhood learning outcomes is foundational for laying the pathway for success in secondary and tertiary education, and furthering progress against Outcomes 5 and 6.

Governments have worked in genuine partnership with First Nations partners to guide the direction of future policy making and shape the vision for early childhood care and development of First Nations children. This work includes multiple strategies, including the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Sector Strengthening Plan, the ECCD Policy Partnership, and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Early Childhood Strategy (the Strategy). This evidence-based, holistic national Strategy aims to align and coordinate cross-portfolio effort across whole-of-government and the early childhood systems and sectors, including funding, with a focus on the priority areas of education, health, workforce, safety, housing, disability and cultural connection.

Through the ECCD Policy Partnership, the Commonwealth is working in partnership with SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, other First Nations stakeholders and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sectors to develop initiatives to increase the participation of First Nations children in quality and culturally responsive early childhood education and care services.

Priority actions

Early Years Strategy

The Commonwealth has committed $4.2 million to develop and implement a whole‑of‑Commonwealth Early Years Strategy to create a new integrated and holistic approach to investments in the early years. The Strategy will set out the Commonwealth’s vision to best support Australia’s children and their families in the early years, will create a more coordinated approach to the early years across government, and increase overall responsibility and accountability for the wellbeing, education and development of Australia’s children, including First Nations children. The Strategy will seek to reduce program and funding silos, and better integrate and coordinate functions across government to deliver improved early childhood outcomes.

Connected Beginnings

Work is continuing between the Commonwealth and SNAICC and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) to support delivery of the Connected Beginnings Program. As a priority, this includes developing a new framework to support greater Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisation’s engagement, which will guide the approach to funding arrangements in new and existing sites and ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community‑controlled organisations lead and manage projects. Work is underway to support the mapping, planning and coordination of maternal and child health activities, and the development of a broader strategy or model of care for maternal and child health future policies.

The Connected Beginnings Program expansion is on track with 33 sites now established. In 2022–23 the latest sites to be established are in Wagga Wagga (NSW), Whittlesea (VIC), Ngukurr (NT), Hervey Bay (QLD) and Maryborough (QLD).

Community consultations for future sites are due to commence in Broken Hill (NSW), and four Queensland locations in Ipswich, Bundaberg, Cairns and Woorabinda (Central Capricorn). Consultations will be led by SNAICC as the community partner, and reflect the community’s priorities and decision-making. It is expected at least three of these sites will be established before June 2023.

Work is underway to support the mapping, planning and coordination of maternal and child health activities, and the development of a broader strategy or model of care for maternal and child health future policies. The Connected Beginnings Program supports Priority Reform Four and the transition to data sovereignty by further enhancing tools and resources for data collection to inform local decision‑making, measure progress and evaluate the Program. The Connected Beginnings Program mid-term evaluation is currently underway and due for completion in June 2023.

Providing child care in remote communities

The Commonwealth is committed to expanding the Community Child Care Fund Restricted (CCCF-R) program to fund additional and primarily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-run child care services in remote and very remote communities. New child care services, based on findings from community consultations in 2022, are expected to be announced in early 2023, once new funding agreements are in place.

The Commonwealth will continue to work with SNAICC as the community partner for these new CCCF‑R expansion sites to support their establishment and the ongoing implementation of community-led and culturally safe projects. The CCCF-R grant funding arrangements will be reviewed in 2023, and include consultation with providers, services, SNAICC, and other First Nations stakeholders.

Intensive early childhood education and care model trial

The Commonwealth is supporting a trial led by the Parkville Institute for an intensive early childhood education and care model at four new sites. A First Nations specific site will be informed by a co‑development process led by SNAICC and overseen by a steering committee to provide a strong cultural lens for the project. Co-development of this model is currently underway with SNAICC and a selected Aboriginal community-controlled early learning centre in New South Wales. Engagement with families for the First Nations site will commence in 2023.

New early learning teaching model

The Commonwealth committed to trial the design, implementation and evaluation of a new early learning teaching model that strengthens children’s literacy and numeracy learning through explicit instruction, with a focus on improving First Nations children’s school readiness outcomes. The initiative is delivered by the University of Melbourne, in partnership with First Nations stakeholders, relevant local communities and other experts throughout the trial’s design and delivery to ensure that it is culturally safe and tailored to community need. Full implementation of the 12-month trial will commence in early 2023 in sites across Northern Territory and Victoria.

First Nations playgroups

The Commonwealth is resourcing $12.4 million over four years to provide increased support for playgroups and toy libraries across Australia. Playgroups and toy libraries provide accessible and affordable spaces, resources and opportunities for children to play together, and for parents and carers to seek social and parenting support, particularly in regional and remote communities. The measure will allocate dedicated funding to deliver a pilot program to test approaches to First Nations playgroups at 10 new locations. This pilot will be delivered in partnership with Aboriginal community‑controlled organisations.

Summary of new actions

*A full appendix of new and existing measures being undertaken by the Commonwealth to support Closing the Gap efforts is on the NIAA website, at Closing the Gap implementation measures.