What is the CCCFR Expansion Program?
The Community Child Care Fund Restricted (CCCFR) Expansion Program is a Closing the Gap reform.
The CCCFR grant was set up in 2018 to support services to address obstacles to early childhood education and care particularly focused on disadvantaged and vulnerable communities around Australia. The program is part of the Community Child Care Fund, which helps services address barriers to childcare participation.
In August 2021, the Australian Government expanded the program to establish services in mainly remote locations as part of the government’s commitment to achieving Closing the Gap targets. The program supports the establishment of new—or improvements to—early childhood education and care services in remote and very remote areas funded under the CCCFR Expansion Non-Competitive Grant. SNAICC works with CCCFR Expansion sites to provide tailored foundational support for the establishment of high-quality and sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led education and care services that effectively address the needs of their communities.
Examples of support include:
- assistance in becoming regulated under National Law
- developing place-based workforce strategies
- facilitating Aboriginal community involvement in childcare initiatives
- assisting teams to respond to emerging challenges.
The intended outcomes of the program are:
- increasing participation in early childhood education and care services by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
- establishing new early childhood education and care services in mainly remote and very remote areas
- supporting Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, identified through community consultation, to successfully operate and deliver new early childhood education and care services where appropriate
- upskilling local staff through increased access to relevant training
- increasing the number of culturally appropriate early childhood education and care services
- early childhood education and care services are able to address – or have increased capacity to address – barriers to early childhood education and care participation
- increased collaboration between relevant services to meet the needs of families and communities.
By establishing new, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led childcare services, the program aims to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s participation in early childhood education and care.
Our Role
SNAICC came on board as the Department of Education’s CCCFR Expansion partner in 2022. Together with the Department of Education, SNAICC works with providers to establish community-led, high-quality, safe and culturally appropriate childcare services that reflect the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities.
SNAICC works with CCCFR Expansion sites to provide tailored foundational support for the establishment of quality and sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led education and care services that effectively address the needs of their communities. We have led virtual community of practice discussions for participants to reflect and share what quality education and care looks like for their community and the important role community voice plays in the development of a quality early childhood education and care services.
SNAICC is also a co-chair of the CCCFR Expansion Advisory Group, where we provide leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander CCCFR Expansion initiatives.
CCCFR Expansion Sites
Four early childhood education and care services have been established through the CCCFR Expansion Program.
The four early childhood education and care services sites are:
- Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation in Jurnkkurakurr/Tennant Creek, Northern Territory
- Puuya Foundation in Lockhart River, Queensland
- Napranum Aboriginal Land Council in Napranum, Queensland
- Wunan Foundation in Kununurra, Western Australia.
A further four sites have been announced (3 November 2023) in these locations:
- Central Australian Aboriginal Congress in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, Northern Territory
- Central Desert Regional Council in Anmatjere/Ti Tree, Northern Territory
- Bundiyarra Aboriginal Community Corporation in Jambinu/Geraldton, Western Australia
- Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council in Kowanyama, Queensland.
Once all eight sites are established, they will provide access to high-quality early childhood education and care for 300+ children per year.
Review of the grant
In April 2023, Deloitte was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education to review the restricted grant, working in partnership with SNAICC and consultants Murawin.
The review will examine how the grant is meeting its goals to improve early childhood development outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged children and increase workforce participation by vulnerable and disadvantaged families.
The review will be completed in 2024.
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