Every child and family is different. They come from different communities and backgrounds, and they arrive in the ECEC system with their own strengths and needs. Services should be ready for that, with support that fits.

When done well, all children can access high-quality early learning. However, it can be streneous on the sector.

A new project led by the Front Project, with support from the Investment Dialogue for Australia's Children, funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation and Minderoo Foundation, dissects how the long daycare system can more efficiently respond to this diversity.

The work focuses on how supports and resources can be allocated and delivered across the system, and how these approaches can better meet the different needs of children, services and communities. It will also explore how supports can contribute to both immediate outcomes for children and longer-term capability building and quality improvement across the sector.

The IDAC partnership has enabled early collaboration between the project and the Commonwealth Department of Education. This helps ensure the work is aligned to policy priorities, while remaining grounded in evidence and shared learning.

The project will draw on lessons from other systems, including schooling and state-based early childhood models, to understand what works and why.

Ultimately, the goal is to strengthen the way the ECEC system supports equitable access and outcomes for children, while providing governments and providers with practical, evidence-informed options.

Scoping is underway through the first half of 2026, with findings - in the form of a report - expected to inform future policy discussions later in the year.

Any inquiries, please reach out to Gabi Burman: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Quotes attributable to Rosie Bridge, Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children

"This work is about bringing partners together to explore how the system can better respond to the different needs of children and communities. IDAC’s role is to help connect that effort, support shared learning, and ensure the insights can inform future policy and investment decisions."

Quotes attributable to Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow, The Front Project

"We know that children don’t all start from the same place. This project is an opportunity to examine how resourcing approaches can better reflect those contexts, drawing on evidence from across systems and applying it to early childhood education in a practical way."

Department of Education

“The Department is contributing to discussions to strengthen the evidence base on equity in early childhood education and care. This work will generate insights to inform future policy development and support ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for children and communities with diverse needs."