Foundational Supports and Inclusion in Early Childhood Education and Care is a report from the Centre for Policy Development (CPD) and The Front Project that explores how the delivery of Foundational Supports in early childhood education and care (ECEC) can support all children to thrive.
Children with disability or developmental delay face significant barriers to accessing ECEC, and Foundational Supports, a middle layer of support for children with complex needs who may not qualify for NDIS funding, are key to ensuring they are not left behind.
Drawing on research and extensive consultation with stakeholders from the early childhood development, early childhood education and care, and disability sectors, the report offers 16 recommendations – practical steps that governments and policymakers can take to address key issues around inclusion and equity within the early childhood education and care system.
Foundational Supports and Inclusion in Early Childhood Education and Care explores how the delivery of Foundational Supports in early childhood education and care (ECEC) can support all children to thrive.
The report offers 16 practical steps that governments and policymakers can take to address key issues around inclusion and equity within the early childhood education and care system.
Children from low-income families, diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and those with disability or developmental delay face significant barriers to accessing high-quality ECEC.
Supports available, such as the Inclusion Support Fund (ISP), are often inadequate. The Productivity Commission found that only 1% of children in ECEC had ISP applications lodged in 2022-23, even though an estimated 20% experienced learning or developmental challenges.
Acknowledging these issues, and through recommendations from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Review, National Cabinet has agreed to invest in delivering Foundational Supports, specific supports available outside the NDIS to help people with disability, and their families and carers.
With approximately two-thirds of children in ECEC settings by age three, there is a clear opportunity to embed these supports into ECEC services, ensuring all children receive the care they need.
The report offers 16 recommendations to address key issues around inclusion and equity within the early childhood education and care system.
Key recommendations include:
The report further calls for urgent interim funding to address immediate gaps and ensure that children from First Nations families, rural and remote communities, and low-income households receive support while longer-term reforms are implemented.
Through implementation of these recommendations, integrating foundational support into ECEC services and prioritising inclusion as a key aspect of early learning reforms, we can build an ECEC system where every child can participate fully and meaningfully, regardless of their abilities, background, or circumstances.
This would remove the barriers to access that children from low-income families, diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and those with disability or developmental delay face. It would ensure that all families get the support that they need, in the way they need, and help all children thrive.
