Evidence on optimal hours of ECEC for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
The current Child Care Subsidy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families is insufficient to support the developmental and cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Currently, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are entitled to 36 hours of subsidised Early Childhood Education & Care per fortnight, regardless of activity levels.
SNAICC is advocating for a 30-hour weekly entitlement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families as an evidence-based policy solution for all governments to achieve Targets 3, 4 and 12 under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. A 30-hour weekly entitlement will provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents with greater security and access to ECEC and reduce developmental vulnerability amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The Evidence Review on the Optimal Hours of ECEC for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children did not find evidence that 30 hours of ECEC per week is the optimal entitlement for all children but concluded it is critical that families can access at least 30 hours without financial barriers. A core entitlement to sufficient ECEC hours means there is flexibility to tailor access depending on child and family circumstances that change over time.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, the developmental gains from higher ECEC hours are greatest when they attend an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled ECEC or integrated early years’ service. The cultural safety of the ECEC service is a strong predictor of child and family engagement and is equally important as the number of ECEC hours.
To unlock the transformative potential of a 30-hour entitlement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, all governments need to pursue sector-strengthening reforms to support ACCOs that deliver high-quality, culturally responsive and integrated ECEC services in their communities. A key reform is the implementation of the needs-based, block and backbone support funding model for the sector, as recommended in SNAICC’s Funding Model Options for ACCO Early Years Services final report.
Background
The evidence review was commissioned by the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership, which is established under Priority Reform 1 (shared decision-making and partnerships) of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
In its first year of operation, the Partnership agreed to progress work towards increasing the base entitlement to 30 hours per week of subsided early childhood education and care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-5.
dandolopartners was chosen to undertake the evidence review. Dandolopartners worked with Wiradjuri researcher, educator and board director Dr Jessa Rogers to apply a cultural lens to the available evidence and centre the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander evidence base around early learning in the review. dandolopartners is a management consulting firm that specialises in public policy and works with clients in and around government. Since 2002, the organisation has provided policy, strategy and evaluation advice to clients in state and federal government, non-profit organisations and the private sector, working in a variety of sectors such as education, industry policy, health, justice, human services, research and innovation.