SNAICC has formally made a Federal Budget submission that is focused on our early childhood development priorities.
The current early childhood education and care (ECEC) system is geared towards mainstream working families, rather than the needs of vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, placing them at higher risk of developing problems that will impact on their long-term health, their education outcomes and their social wellbeing. The early years provide the best opportunity to support the Government’s Closing the Gap objectives and targets.
SNAICC has identified a broad range of measures necessary to increase access to quality ECEC for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. This paper provides Federal Budget proposals for three of the measures that evidence supports as having the highest potential impact for investment. SNAICC proposes that these measures be provided for in the 2020-21 Federal Budget.
PROPOSAL 1: Provide a minimum entitlement of 30 hours of 95% subsidised care per week for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children as an ongoing measure to Close the Gap in ECEC attendance and Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) outcomes.
PROPOSAL 2: Fund a sector development initiative to establish regional intermediary services that support the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood services to deliver quality early education and development supports.
PROPOSAL 3: Introduce an alternative community focused funding program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ECEC services that recognises their unique role to provide cultural integrated early childhood development supports to children, families and communities.
Read the full submission: SNAICC Federal Budget Proposals August 2020
