SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES - COMMUNITY INSIGHTS INTO PRESCHOOL PARTICIPATION - The Smith Family
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SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES COMMUNITY INSIGHTS INTO PRESCHOOL PARTICIPATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE 5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6
OUR MODEL 10
HOW TO READ THIS REPORT 11
PART 1 – INSIGHTS INTO THE PRESCHOOL EXPERIENCE 12
Understanding the benefits of preschool 13
Finding the right preschool 19
Having a simple enrolment experience 25
Feeling welcomed and valued 30
Feeling respected and culturally safe 36
Being offered support 40
Case Study – The Hive, Mount Druitt, NSW 49
PART 2 – SOLUTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY 50
Ideas from the community 51
Community concepts 58
A local communication campaign, Bendigo, VIC 59
An early childhood education app, Fairfield, NSW 63
An enrolment helper, Dubbo, NSW 66
A universal screener, Fairfield, NSW 69
Sharing our knowledge approach, Wellington, NSW 72
Case Study – Nanima Preschool, Wellington, NSW 77
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 79
REFERENCES 81
APPENDIX 1 – PROJECT METHODOLOGY 83
APPENDIX 2 – PRESCHOOL PARTICIPATION REPORT 2019 91
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
The Smith Family pays respect to the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country in the
communities in which we work throughout Australia and their connection to their lands, waters
and communities. We pay respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures,
and to Elders, both past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples as Australia’s First Peoples and Custodians of the Land. We acknowledge that the land on
which our workplaces are located are the lands of the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country.
THANK YOU
Across communities, the project team spoke to many people who generously shared their time and
stories, including during a period of great uncertainty and stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Smith Family would like to thank all the parents and family members who helped shape our
understanding of how they experience the preschool system. Thanks are also extended to the
dedicated early years educators and practitioners who volunteered their time and shared their
passion for early childhood education and the children in their community.
This report is dedicated to the children in our communities, all of whom deserve access to
high-quality early childhood education.
The Smith Family acknowledges the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and
Employment and the Preschool Attendance Strategies Project Advisory Group for their involvement
and support. Thanks are due also to the many staff from across The Smith Family for their
contributions to the project.
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES 3
A NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY
Due to the wide variation of policy and DISADVANTAGE PARENT
terminology relating to preschool in the A term used to encompass the range of barriers This term encompasses biological parents and
states and territories of Australia, we have that prevent individuals from participating fully other carers who have parental responsibility
in society, including, but not limited to, low socio- for a child.
included a list of terms with definitions to
economic status.
clarify how they are used in this report.
PARTICIPATION
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) A broadly used term that describes engagement
ATTENDANCE
A broadly used term that includes education by the child and family with preschool, covering
A child who is enrolled and present for booked
services provided to children up to age eight. both enrolment and attendance.
sessions at an early childhood education service.
The focus of this report is on preschool
programs delivered in ECE in the year before PRACTITIONER
CENTRE BASED DAY CARE (CBDC)
full-time schooling. This term describes health and community
An early childhood education and care service
services staff who work with families, particularly
that provides all-day or part-time care for EDUCATOR families with young children, including educators.
children up to age six who attend on a regular
A qualified early childhood teacher or educator
basis. Preschool programs are delivered in these
in a preschool or CBDC setting working directly PRESCHOOL
settings, as well as in standalone preschools.
with children. As the language to describe ECE programs
under the Early Years Learning Framework in
CULTURAL SAFETY
ENROLMENT the year before school differ across jurisdictions,
‘An environment that is spiritually, socially and
The initial intake into ECE and acceptance of for ease of reading, this document uses the
emotionally safe, as well as physically safe for
a place by the family. term ‘preschool’ to describe both preschools
people; where there is no assault, challenge or
and kindergartens.
denial of their identity, of who they are and what
FAMILY
they need. It is about shared respect, shared
The various carers involved in a child’s primary
meaning, shared knowledge, and experience
care, including parents, grandparents, foster
of learning together’ (Williams, 1999).
carers, legal guardians, adoptive parents,
culturally appointed carers and custodial parents.
4
PREFACE
Research shows that all children benefit in government and institutions are compounding We took this approach because the evidence shows
from preschool, and we know that children challenges that can seem insurmountable. In that solutions to complex problems are more
experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability addition, the perceived cost of preschool and likely to succeed when developed with the people
stand to benefit the most. The benefits of childcare—despite available subsidies—can deter who are impacted. We anticipate that different
preschool are lifelong. When children start some families from even exploring the possibility communities will prioritise different solutions,
primary school ‘ready to learn’, they have the best of preschool. so we do not consider that this work is ‘finished’.
chance of thriving. However, when children start
The Smith Family undertook this research Throughout the report we have shared
school without these foundational skills, they are
project to add to the evidence base on what comments from the community that reflect
more likely to experience a difficult transition and
works to raise preschool participation for the themes we encountered, or have implications
struggle throughout their education and beyond.
children experiencing disadvantage, with for solution design.
We know that many families find it hard to a particular focus on the lived experience
With a few small steps, even more children will
send their children to preschool. The National of families and practitioners.
benefit from preschool in preparation for their
Partnership on Universal Access to Early
Originally intended to be a longer multi-year own big futures.
Childhood Education (ECE), also known as the
project that included the trialling of solutions
Universal Access National Partnership (UANP),
and implementation of initiatives, this project was
has been effective in making preschool more
funded for the completion of Phase One which was
accessible to Australian families and has built up
broken down into two stages conducted between
the sector’s capacity to deliver quality preschool
July 2019 and April 2021. Building on a literature
services; however, some children and families are
review and scan of programs implemented by
being left behind. Publicly available data indicate
governments, we undertook consultations and
that up to one in 10 children still miss out.
qualitative research in the first stage to understand
Most families will overcome the barriers we have the barriers to participation in preschool. We then
identified through the project, such as complex moved to a human-centred design (HCD) approach
enrolment systems and finding quality care, more suited to working with complex problems.
but many will not. Problems such as poverty, Our participatory approach invited families and
low literacy, family violence, intergenerational practitioners to bring their experiences and
trauma, ill-health or disability and a lack of trust insights into developing solutions.
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES 5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this report is to document the n A metropolitan location with high rates of engagement with the preschool system. Relying
outcomes of our participatory process with disability, a high proportion of families from on preschool services to initiate and nurture
different communities, noting how families’ diverse cultural backgrounds and many new these relationships in the current environment is
experience of the system is influenced by ‘place’, arrivals to Australia. not always realistic, given the range of pressures
and as well as to explore possible solutions. n A small outer regional town with a high on these services.
This report builds on The Smith Family’s Project percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
We distilled the views collected in our discussions
Interim Report and Preschool Participation Report Islander peoples.
to obtain insights into what is and what is not
2019, which offer substantial detail on the
n A large regional centre. working across the preschool engagement journey
policy context and service landscape that is
from the perspective of families. We then invited
not reproduced here. We engaged with these communities and asked
participants to prioritise their needs and work
them what they thought would help improve
We spoke directly to families with recent experience with us to develop and test a concept that would
preschool enrolment and attendance in each
of the ECE system, as well as with early childhood meet that need.
of these locations. Each had its own strengths
educators and early years service practitioners.
and challenges and varying levels of capacity The logical next step is to trial these concepts
They described the barriers present throughout
to meet the goal of enabling every family to in place, to identify quickly whether they will
the preschool journey, which are felt most by
send their child to preschool. In each location, succeed or fail. Next steps have been articulated
people living in circumstances of disadvantage or
we encountered families and practitioners with for each of the concepts described in the report.
vulnerability. Some of these barriers are personal
strong views on how to better meet the needs
and local. Many are systemic. However there are
of families in their communities. Although each
opportunities to improve families’ experience by
community had a unique perspective, there was
providing support or adjusting policy settings.
also remarkable agreement across communities
This work was conducted in four communities on what changes are needed.
in New South Wales and Victoria:
We heard that relationships are everything.
n A regional community working to overcome In all our interactions, the importance of
the impacts of intergenerational poverty. connection, trust and the value of local
relationships was emphasised. For families
with low trust in government and government
systems, building trust is critical to successful
6
FINDINGS
Through our research, we identified a range of specific barriers families face which can prevent their child’s enrolment and regular
attendance at preschool. There are also a number of broader, systemic issues that need to be considered when designing interventions:
The system is complex, and for families We need to better understand who Educators need more resources
experiencing vulnerability this complexity is missing out on preschool, and what to support them to engage with
inhibits engagement with early learning. works to support participation. vulnerable families.
We found that families have difficulties There is currently no nationally agreed data Educators told us that they know how important
navigating the ECE system. The interactions of set on preschool participation, so it is not relationships are, but they struggle to find the
the Commonwealth, State and Territory systems, possible to identify precisely who is missing out. time and, in some cases, the right training to
and the range of different ECE options available This limits efforts by governments, philanthropic build positive relationships with vulnerable
makes it hard for them to know where to start. organisations and ECE providers to target families and to respond to the needs of the child.
Added to this, enrolment and subsidy application approaches to greatest need.
This has particular significance for Aboriginal
processes assume a level of agency, literacy and
Billions of dollars are invested in ECE nationally, and Torres Strait Islander children, who continue
mobility that is beyond some families to navigate.
yet no evaluation system is in place to guide to attend preschool at lower rates than other
Families often do not understand their out-of- this investment. A nationally agreed evaluation demographic groups, despite the data indicating
pocket expenses for ECE, which impacts their framework would support systemic responses high enrolment rates. Our research found that
ability to make an informed choice. Further, the to ECE investment and allow for more targeted if culture is embedded into the practice of the
interaction between the hours available under needs-based funding. preschool, engagement is stronger, leading
the Child Care Subsidy preschool exemption and to increased participation. The challenge is to
centre based day care (CBDC) session times result enable more practitioners to consider cultural
in not all children having access to 600 hours of safety through authentic engagement with local
preschool in the year before school. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
From this broader context of systemic issues, we recommend that any intervention needs to be designed with the human experience in mind by:
n Adopting a family-focused approach, with n Enhancing connections between government n Involving the local community in
greater responsiveness to families’ needs. sectors, such as health and education, and developing solutions.
encouraging collaboration across the early
education and family service system to create
a more seamless experience for families.
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES 7
MAJOR STEPS FORWARD
NATIONAL
The Australian Government has committed ENROLMENT HAS INCREASED,
$453.2 million for preschool in 2021 under but attendance needs to continue to improve.
PRIORITY
the National Partnership on Universal
Under UANP arrangements
Access to Early Childhood Education
preschool enrolment
(UANP), bringing the total amount of
rates have increased Aboriginal and
In 2008, the Council of Australian Governments funding available since 2014 to over
significantly, Torres St Islander
$3.2
(COAG) made the attendance of all children at from around 12% enrolment rates have
a quality preschool program for 15 hours a before the UANP started also increased significantly,
week or 600 hours annually in the year (in 2008) to around now sitting at
before full-time school a national priority.
BILLION 95%
NATIONALLY.
96%
NATIONALLY.
(ABS, 2013) (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2021) (Department of Education, Skills and Employment, 2021)
WORK STILL TO BE DONE
WHO IS
n Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children.
MISSING
n Children living with
At present, more than one disadvantage and in
circumstances of vulnerability.
OUT?
in five Australian children
are considered developmentally n Children living in outer regional,
vulnerable at the time they start school. remote and very remote areas.
Publicly available data These groups are over-
indicates that up to represented in the
one in 10 children still cohort of children who
miss out on preschool.1 do not fully participate
in preschool at the level
1. Variations in public data sets make it difficult to be precise about the numbers of children who are not enrolled in preschool, and those not
attending to the rate of 600 hours. For a discussion of this, see the Preschool Participation Report in Appendix 2. (The Smith Family, 2019) identified by COAG.
8
THE PRESCHOOL FAMILY EXPERIENCE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people told us that feeling respected
The journey that families experience when engaging with a preschool program is often not linear. and culturally safe is essential
There is complexity at each stage as well as opportunities to engage with and build trust with families. n Cultural leadership of preschools enables a
strong ECE model that responds to Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders children’s needs.
The first stage of that journey is Having a simple enrolment experience
n Enabling cultural safety includes fostering a living
understanding the benefits of preschool would help all families, and especially culture that is connected to identity, place and people.
n Preschool is valued by parents, but many are those experiencing disadvantage n Community connections embed the preschool
unaware of the long-term benefits of early in wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
n A simpler and more responsive enrolment
learning for their child and the community. cultures and build trust.
process can help parents engage with preschool.
n In the absence of a clear message about n There are challenges transitioning from a culturally
n Navigating MyGov and applying for the Child
the value of preschool, parents receive their safe preschool to a mainstream school.
Care Subsidy can be difficult for parents,
information through informal networks. Participatory decision-making with Aboriginal and
and support options are limited. n
n Some parents, particularly those from diverse cultural Torres Strait Islander people would help integrate
n The progressive pre-filling of forms and
backgrounds or those not in the formal workforce, cultural safety within ECE services and policies.
standardising data requirements would reduce
believe that preschool is not for everyone. the burden on parents and practitioners.
n Building trust with vulnerable families is crucial n Some families need one-on-one help to
to helping them participate in preschool. complete the enrolment process.
CONNECTING
SHARING
CULTURE
BELONGING
BECOMING ENROLLING
AWARE
CHOOSING
And finally, educators are in a good
Once enrolled at preschool, families position to offer support to children
Next is finding the right preschool need to feel welcomed and valued with additional needs
n Cost is a significant barrier for families and n Families place high value on the quality of n Educators require time and training to build
plays out differently in different contexts. the interactions they have with practitioners. relationships with vulnerable families.
n Local services are highly valued by parents, n Educators can build trust with culturally and n Educators can play a critical role in connecting
with location and transport playing a significant linguistically diverse (CALD) families by understanding vulnerable families with other support services.
role in access and attendance. and including their culture and language. n Families benefit when early childhood educators
n Families need clear information on services n Food insecurity is a problem for many families living collaborate with local health, community services
to make an informed choice, however, such with disadvantage, and providing packed lunches and schools.
information is surprisingly difficult to access. is more generally a source of anxiety. n As the number of children with complex needs rises,
n Parents of children with a disability or complex needs n Preschools can be a key touchpoint in identifying educators struggle to meet the needs of all children.
find it difficult to secure their preferred preschool, disabilities and developmental delays early and
and services are struggling to respond to the rising providing support.
numbers of children with complex needs.
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES 9
ENGAGEMENT ATTENDANCE
Understanding the Having a simple
benefits of preschool enrolment experience
Finding the
right preschool CONNECTING
SHARING
CULTURE
BELONGING
BECOMING
AWARE ENROLLING
CHOOSING
Feeling respected Being offered
and culturally safe support
Feeling welcomed
and valued
BUILDING TRUST BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
OUR MODEL
This journey offers a useful model for us to All stages of this experience can affect how
design experiences that meet the needs of readily families engage with and value preschool
families at each stage as they move from for their child. Our report is structured to follow
initial engagement into attendance. Each stage the family journey and highlight the kinds of
offers opportunities to build trust and build experiences that must happen at each stage for
relationships to enable ongoing participation families to overcome barriers and fully engage
in a preschool program. with a service.
10HOW TO READ THIS REPORT
There are many voices in this report. We have structured it
to first present our research and insights, and then showcase
the ideas that we developed with local communities.
PART 1 – INSIGHTS INT
Our research
insights are struc
O THE PRESCHOOL EXPERI
ENCE PART 2 – SOLUTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY
the preschool tured around what
experience for
families, and We asked parents and practitioners
families can how preschool
be supported
by practitione they thought would help improve
At each stage rs. location had its
, these exper
iences may lead enrolment and attendance. Each
them to engag varying levels
e or disengage
with preschool. own strengths and challenges and
goal of enabling every
In the comm of capacity to meet the
unities we visite
creative and d, we heard about family to send their child to preschool.
innovative proje
that have been cts and progr
ams families and
established to In each location, we encountered
needs—these meet families’
on how to better BECOMING SHARING
Some challenges
are included
as ‘practice exam practitioners with strong views CHOOSING ENROLLING BELONGING CULTURE CONNECTING
have solutions,
families face
may already
ples’.
meet the needs of families in their
communities.
AWARE
a unique
but those solut
ions may not Although each community had
be widely availa significant agreement
ble. Some of perspective, there was also
have independe these examples
nt evaluation on what is not working.
s backing their across communities
results, while
others are small
and local and solutions, some
yet to generate
the scale and are While we focus on place-based
attention to implications
this approach.
All respond to justify concepts have larger systemic policy
local needs and
seek to put the
family exper for policymakers to consider.
of the solution.2 ience at the centr
e
THE PRESCHOOL FAMILY EXPERIENCE
2. Because our
researc
our practice exampl h is based in NSW and Victoria
You will see these journey icons throughout the
imply that innovat es come from these jurisdic , the majority
of
ive responses to tions.
with preschool
are not occurri supporting family This is not to
ng elsewhere in engagement
the country.
50
report, and the colours and icons will help you
navigate the report.
12
PART 1 – INSIGHTS PART 2 – SOLUTIONS The framework is also used to highlight how
Here is where we synthesise what we heard from In this section we show the wide range of each practical intervention—practice examples,
families and practitioners about their experience ideas we heard from the four communities. ideas and concepts—relates to one or more
of preschool. We share quotes and stories that stages of the journey.
Ideas from the community: these are the
highlight common experiences.
many ideas that emerged from our workshops. APPENDICES
Practice examples: Throughout Part 1, we have
Community concepts: these are the ideas We have included two appendices:
highlighted innovative examples of solutions
that the workshop participants prioritised to
that have had success in increasing participation. 1. Project methodology, where we describe
take forward and develop into a concept for
Many of these examples are from Victoria and our approach and research process.
testing. It is worth noting that other ideas
New South Wales, reflecting the locations we 2. Our Preschool Participation Report,
may be prioritised by other communities.
focused on in the project. which provides more detailed data.
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES 11PART 1 – INSIGHTS INTO THE PRESCHOOL EXPERIENCE
Our research insights are structured around
the preschool experience for families, and how
families can be supported by practitioners.
At each stage, these experiences may lead
them to engage or disengage with preschool.
In the communities we visited, we heard about
creative and innovative projects and programs
that have been established to meet families’
needs—these are included as ‘practice examples’.
Some challenges families face may already
have solutions, but those solutions may not
be widely available. Some of these examples
have independent evaluations backing their
results, while others are small and local and are
yet to generate the scale and attention to justify
this approach. All respond to local needs and
seek to put the family experience at the centre
of the solution.2
2. Because our research is based in NSW and Victoria, the majority of
our practice examples come from these jurisdictions. This is not to
imply that innovative responses to supporting family engagement
with preschool are not occurring elsewhere in the country.
12UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF PRESCHOOL
While many families may value early learning services, they may not be
aware of how important attending a preschool program is to their child’s
development. We also heard that many families fear judgement of their
parenting and have a general lack of trust in government services which
inhibits them from engaging with preschool. Learning about the value
of preschool is the first step in building trust with families. The insights
below highlight the importance of explaining the long-term developmental
benefits of preschool to parents more effectively.
WHAT WE HEARD
Preschool is valued by parents, but many are “[My kids have] a better day being at preschool
unaware of the long-term benefits of early than being at home I don’t have the time
learning for their child and the community to play with the toys and do the cleaning
Many parents value preschool and can see the and the cooking.”
—Parent, Wellington, NSW
“They are aware of the
immediate benefits when their child participates
in a quality program. This also frees up time
services, but not aware of
However, there remains a perception of early
for employment, caring for the elderly and for the wider benefits for kids,
learning services as ‘babysitting’. The fact that
daily activities. families and communities.”
preschool is not compulsory appears to lead many
“They feed the kids which saves money. They families to feel that it is unimportant to preparing —Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
sleep better because they run around more. their children for primary school and beyond.
And I’m happier because I get rest and a break.”
—Parent, Bendigo, VIC
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES • Part 1 – Insights 13BECOMING
PRACTICE EXAMPLE
CHOOSING
AWARE
THRIVE BY FIVE CAMPAIGN, NATIONAL
“Some parents aren’t aware of educators’
qualifications and view them merely as
‘glorified babysitters’.”
—Practitioner, Wyndham, VIC PURPOSE POSSIBLE IMPACT
Thrive by Five is an initiative of the Minderoo Thrive by Five aims to make early learning
“We do a lot of education to raise awareness
Foundation that is campaigning to transform and childcare universally accessible and
among parents away from childcare to
our current childcare system into a high quality. This approach aims to reduce
early childhood education. We see a lot
comprehensive, high-quality, universally the number of Australian children who start
of parents who come and say, ‘Oh I didn’t
accessible and affordable early learning school developmentally vulnerable and also
know you did that’.”
system. The Thrive by Five campaign advocates supports the optimal development of all
—Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
for effective policy and investment in early children. Affordable, high-quality childcare
There is a need for a clear narrative that is learning and development across Australia. and preschool would also increase workforce
based on developmental neuroscience, as well The campaign is focused on partnerships participation for women and could help
as explaining the broader collective benefits to with research institutions, investments at a address the lifelong economic disadvantage
parents and communities. community level, and engagement with policy many women face.
makers to help build the case for change.
“Kinder should be thought of as important LIMITATIONS
as a doctor service.” Thrive by Five aims to demonstrate the
The goal of the Thrive by Five is to build
—Parent, Bendigo, VIC importance of high-quality early learning
a national, networked strategy without
to children’s development and to provide
losing coherence. The early learning sector
“Centrelink and schools need to tell parents the opportunity for parents to work if they
is complex and has many stakeholders.
about preschool.” choose to.
Arguments to motivate different groups
—Parent, Fairfield, NSW
The campaign uses key messages, such as across the political divide are needed to make
There is growing evidence about the long-term that 90% of the size of a child’s brain develops this a bi-partisan issue of collective benefit.
impact of quality early learning on children’s by the age of five and that 22% of Australian
educational attainment throughout their lives. children are developmentally vulnerable when MORE INFORMATION
(Thorpe, 2020) It is important that these benefits they start school. https://thrivebyfive.org.au/
are communicated to parents in a way that helps
them understand, value and prioritise preschool.
14“Some parents have a pre-conceived
In the absence of a clear message about “Word of mouth is the key—other idea of what they expect kindergarten
the value of preschool, parents obtain their parents who have had a good
information through informal networks experience do the marketing.”
to be. It would be good to have help
The messaging about the purpose and nature of
—Practitioner, Wellington, NSW in de-mystifying what kindergarten
ECE is fragmented and inconsistent, which leaves
“My friends tell me that if you send your child
is about. There are so many myths
families unsure about whether they should around what it is like.”
to preschool they will be bored when they get
send their children to preschool. Early learning
to kindy—it is too many years of school.” —Practitioner, WA
services, particularly standalone preschools,
—Parent, Fairfield, NSW
do not always succeed in communicating the
value of their work. As well as spreading potentially incorrect
information, there is a risk that families
“Long day cares tend to do their own
that are disconnected or lack social networks
advertising, but standalone kinders
may miss out on the message entirely.
rarely do. And there is no centralised
campaign for a region or State.”
—Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
The lack of a cohesive campaign means that the
main form of influential messaging comes through
(sometimes poorly informed) word of mouth.
“Given the lack of information or
misinformation provided by local
services, word of mouth is far more
reliable for parents in the community.”
—Practitioner, VIC
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES • Part 1 – Insights 15Some parents, particularly those from Many families think about ECE as primarily These families are likely to use early intervention
diverse cultural backgrounds or those about childcare to enable workforce participation. support services rather than see a maternal and
not in the formal workforce, believe The Child Care Subsidy activity test sends child health (MCH) nurse. Often, they are not
that preschool is not for everyone the message that ECE is for working parents, aware of the support available to enable their
Beliefs about the place of children within the leading some parents to think that they should child to attend preschool.
family may dissuade parents from enrolling their not enrol their child if they are not working.
“Families with a child with a disability are
child. Families from culturally and linguistically Parents with children with a disability may believe probably not going to those main touchpoints—
diverse backgrounds may believe that children that their child is unable to attend preschool. not the MCH nurse or the local GP. They don’t
should be at home with family in the early years. want to hear about their child failing to reach
“[In Victoria] Kindergartens would often keep
“Many parents don’t feel that they should each milestone. They will be going to early
a few spots because often families with
put their kids in care. They think, ‘If I’m not intervention specialists, or not at all.”
a disability will realise very late that their
working, should I be using childcare?’” —Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
child can attend and will apply.”
—Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC —Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC Parents should know that preschool is for
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander all children.
communities rely first and foremost
on family and community members.”
—Practitioner, WA
We heard that some parents do not believe
that school is a good option for their child, “Many cultures place importance
particularly if they themselves had a negative on the grandparents providing care in
experience at school.
the early years, and the importance
of preschool is not recognised.”
—Parent, Fairfield, NSW
16Building trust with vulnerable families Engaging with preschool services is a difficult
is crucial to helping them participate choice for some parents between ensuring their
in preschool child participates and having to fit into the system.
We heard that many families are reluctant “There is a lot of shame. Some people don’t
to engage with ECE out of fear of allowing want Additional Child Care Subsidy funding
government services into their lives. They because they have to admit their children
can be highly sensitive to judgement about are at risk of harm. They feel like it goes on
their parenting and lifestyle, and many fear their ‘file’.”
government intervention. —Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
“Kinder is the bottom of that survival heap.”
Relationships built on trust and respect
—Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
between families and practitioners
can help overcome these barriers.
“Some [practitioners] are judgmental about
The stronger the relationship with the
parent arrangements. You can’t trust everyone.”
preschool and staff, the more likely
—Parent, Bendigo, VIC
families are to enrol and stay engaged.
“For vulnerable families,
coming into an organised setting,
there is going to be a sense of judgement—
that their parenting might be judged,
or their choices might be judged.
For young parents, there is that
sense of judgement already.”
—Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES • Part 1 – Insights 17SHARING
PRACTICE EXAMPLE
BECOMING CHOOSING ENROLLING BELONGING CONNECTING
AWARE CULTURE
WORKING TOGETHER, TASMANIA
PURPOSE POSSIBLE IMPACT LIMITATIONS
Working Together (WT) is a co-designed and n Enhanced skills and relationships n The co-design process takes time,
evidence-based Tasmanian Government for children and families to ensure a successful and consideration for this must be
initiative. It provides the families of eligible three- transition to kindergarten. factored in when planning for design
year-olds with free early learning and support to n Improved connectivity between referral service and implementation.
address participation barriers. Across 2019–20, partners, early education n The program incrementally increases available
WT worked with 21 ECE and Care centres to service providers, schools and the places in line with sector capacity to ensure
provide 176 children with early learning services. wider service system. expected service quality.
An independent evaluation by the Tasmanian n Positive impact in service domains of
MORE INFORMATION
Council of Social Service found that families felt participation and community engagement.
https://www.education.tas.gov.au/wt
their children had gained skills that significantly Improvements in capacity, capability
contributed to the successful transition to and practice.
kindergarten.
‘James is going really well.3 He has just
excelled at everything. Social skills, becoming
independent—he is always off doing his own
thing. It’s hard to describe it all because it’s
such a big change. I think it’s the educators that
have made that happen. They give James that
can-do attitude. Instead of “I can’t” it’s “I can”’
—Working Together Parent, TAS
3. Name has been changed to protect the child’s identity.
18FINDING THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL
There are many factors that families must consider when deciding to send
their child to preschool. How much will it cost? Is there space for my child?
How will I get there? We found that some of these things, including location,
availability, quality and flexibility, can be insurmountable barriers for families
experiencing disadvantage. We heard that this process could be improved
by providing clear and relevant information, particularly about cost, and
ensuring that local services are available so that each child can access
quality preschool.
WHAT WE HEARD
Cost is a significant barrier for families and “It is common for members of this community
plays out differently in different contexts not to send their children to kinder, in order
Despite the subsidies in place to help parents to save money for primary school.”
send their children to preschool, cost remains a —Parent, Wyndham, VIC
significant barrier to participation for many families,
“When people talk about ‘funded kinder’,
particularly for those experiencing disadvantage.
families think ‘free’ and they feel they
And unfortunately, there are families who do not
are being tricked, and they don’t see
understand that Child Care Subsidy is available
the value. And people are reluctant
for all preschoolers, regardless of their parents’
to mention this.”
working status.
—Practitioner, Brimbank, VIC
“Money is the biggest barrier, and it is worse
if you can’t access Centrelink or Medicare
benefits, which is the case for some asylum
seekers and newer arrivals.”
—Practitioner, Fairfield, NSW
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES • Part 1 – Insights 19“Without a stable income
We heard from practitioners that when it’s difficult to reach the right
governments made childcare fee-free for all
families as part of the COVID-19 response, there
services for your child.”
was an increase in applications and interest —Parent, Dubbo, NSW
from areas with high levels of disadvantage.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that there was
also an increase in first time family engagement
Parents must have clear information on costs
with preschool services.
and eligibility, as we heard that a lack of clarity
During our consultations, we found that many can deter families from applying to preschool.
families were ambivalent about talking about To understand the exact costs, families must
cost and, at times, underplayed its impact. apply first. The application process can be
These families are sensitive to even small lengthy and difficult, and families are often
adjustments in cost. For instance, we heard unsuccessful due to inflexible policies.
that when the subsidy increased to 85%, [when
“If it was cheaper, I would have had my
the child care rebate was replaced by the child
kids in earlier and more days.”
care subsidy], some families experiencing
—Parent, Bendigo, VIC
“I would like to enrol in a
disadvantage in Bendigo were able to send
certain school or a certain area,
their child to an additional day of care.
“The subsidy information may be misleading
but I would like to know what it is
depending on the system that the child
pursues. So, the [full fee] would cause parents going to cost. Each school might
to say that there is no way that they can afford cost different. It is definitely
it. The difference between the maximum
going to help to know.”
benefit and the actual cost also needs
to be explained—it may not be free.” —Parent, Fairfield, NSW
—Practitioner, Fairfield, NSW
20SHARING
PRACTICE EXAMPLE
BECOMING CHOOSING ENROLLING BELONGING CONNECTING
AWARE CULTURE
GOODSTART INCREASING ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION PROGRAM, VICTORIA
PURPOSE services will cost is often enough to put parents The program continues to follow up with families
National early learning provider Goodstart off even thinking about preschool for their child. at eight-week intervals to ensure they continue
created the Increasing Access and Participation The Engagement Officer has detailed knowledge to be able to participate.
(IAP) program in March 2019 to respond more of Centrelink and the application process and
Since the program launched in March 2019,
effectively to referrals from the Victorian can support families every step of the way.
247 children have been supported.
Department of Health and Human Services
child protection workers and family caseworkers POSSIBLE IMPACT
LIMITATIONS
from other services in the state. Rather than This program targets some of the most
The program was made possible by combining
caseworkers referring to centres directly, vulnerable children in Victoria. Children with
funding from the Federal Government’s
the IAP program provides an Engagement child protection involvement are more likely
Community Child Care Fund, the Victorian
Officer to work closely with families to support to start school behind their peers and have
Government’s Early Start funding and Goodstart’s
them in engaging with preschool services. difficulty catching up (Laurens, 2020). The
own Social Inclusion funding. Few smaller
program acknowledges that some families
The Engagement Officer brings together a ‘team services would have the resources to develop
need individual, dedicated support to
around the child’ to ensure that every family has a comparable program or dedicate the staff
overcome barriers to participation in ECE.
the best possible chance of success. Along with time to support the complex needs of families.
the caseworker and the relevant centre director “We would have lost a lot of families if we As a national not-for-profit, purpose-driven
and staff, the Engagement Officer invites other didn’t support them through the process.” organisation, Goodstart has the capacity to
services working with the family to participate in —Practitioner, VIC put this program together.
meetings, such as allied health. The Engagement
Officer helps families navigate the enrolment By taking a team approach, the program can MORE INFORMATION
process to ensure they access the funding address all the issues that may prevent a child
https://www.goodstart.org.au/about-us/inclusion/
support they are entitled to and have no fee from attending preschool. This also has the
programs-we-run
costs if eligible. Families who are not supported benefit of building the capacity of centre staff
through the Centrelink process can inadvertently to support families experiencing vulnerability.
end up in debt, and the fear of how much
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES • Part 1 – Insights 21Local services are highly valued by parents, When services are local, families experiencing
with location and transport playing a vulnerability are more likely to participate. We also
significant role in access and attendance heard that when practitioners notice that families
have stopped attending, there is value in them
The location of preschool is a significant issue for “We have a bus.
reaching out directly or indirectly to offer support.
many families, particularly for those without a car
We wouldn’t get half the kids
or transport and those juggling more than one “Our Director will walk to family homes and
child for drop off and pick up. Proximity to home, we do without a bus.”
walk with the kids to make sure they are going.
school or work is highly important to parents; These community connections are important.” —Practitioner, Dubbo, NSW
however, unlike schools, preschools are not —Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
required to take children from their local area.
“A lot of parents walk to and from school.
In the middle of summer, a lot of parents Families need clear information on services Preschool programs can be delivered in different
keep their kids at home as it is too difficult to make an informed choice, however such contexts—from standalone preschools to
to get there. Or in wet weather” information is surprisingly difficult to obtain those embedded in CBDC settings—all offering
—Parent, Dubbo, NSW When there are several preschool programs in different levels of real and perceived quality and
the local community and parents have a choice flexibility for families. Due to the need to provide
When access to transport is a challenge, about where to send their child, they can be 15 hours of preschool for each child, services
preschool is generally prioritised behind work overwhelmed when trying to understand which may deliver these hours in many different
and school; therefore, children are more likely service is best for their family. The complexity ways, and the challenge for providers is that the
to miss a preschool session. This also interacts of assessing the type of care on offer, the service preschool activity test exemption for Child Care
with parents’ sense of value for money. hours availability and the waiting lists mean that Subsidy settings does not always align with their
deciding can be difficult for parents. sessions. Some centres may offer short sessions
over a number of days, while others try to offer
“Families might identify what they want but longer hours over fewer days. We also heard that
where to go, how to go, or the processes to get the session times offered do not always work for
there are so complicated that they might get families juggling other responsibilities, such as
to the first step and then stop at that point.” work or other children.
(Practitioner, Dubbo, NSW)
22PRACTICE EXAMPLE
CHOOSING ENROLLING CONNECTING
UNITING LINKS TO EARLY LEARNING, NSW
The complexity of the system and the lack of
flexibility with hours and days of attendance
and availability is a problem in relation to family
choice. This is particularly challenging for families PURPOSE and the number of children assessed as
coping with high levels of vulnerability, who may developmentally vulnerable in two or more
An innovative, evidence-based and scalable
find it difficult to plan ahead. domains is much higher than the state and
home-visiting program that is highly
successful at working in partnership with national average.4 The program targets
Preschool services and policy makers could work
families, other services and ECE providers to families from diverse backgrounds (including
to address the mismatch between the preschool
support vulnerable children in gaining access refugee and asylum seekers), Aboriginal and
activity test exemption and the session times
to more opportunities to learn. Torres Strait Islander families, children and
offered. Some CBDC centres have addressed
parents with disabilities, young parents and
this by offering before and after care that wraps
POSSIBLE IMPACT those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
around preschool sessions, but standalone
It directly addresses the need for relationship-
preschools would struggle to offer this. Links to Early Learning works by providing
focused support for families that are less likely
an experienced early childhood professional
“Parents often make the choice based on to access early learning. The program has been
who engages one-on-one with parents and
availability—parents are motivated by evaluated and is showing promising results.
carers. This professional assists families
particular days, needs around work.
in successfully navigating the community
Often a very practical choice.” LIMITATIONS
services sector to break down any barriers to
—Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC The program is struggling to meet demand as
accessing and maintaining access to quality
early learning programs and set their child up it is providing a much needed service. Short
“Why can’t kinder be run all day so that
for a successful start to school. The program term funding to the program creates risk
parents can just check in or check out
team also plays an important role in building that service continuity will be disrupted and
whenever it suits them? Or collaborate
the capacity of centre staff to understand community engagement will be compromised.
with families at the beginning of the year to
and meet the needs of children and families
get a collective agreement on start times?” MORE INFORMATION
experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage.
—Practitioner, Brimbank, VIC
https://www.uniting.org/services/family-services/
The program is located in south-western facility/uniting-links-to-early-learning
Sydney, where preschool enrolment is
4. Attended a preschool program Fairfield 75.5%, NSW 89.8%
below the state and national average, Australia 92.4%; Vulnerable on two or more domains Fairfield
15.1%, NSW 9.6%, Australia 11% (AEDC, 2018b)
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES • Part 1 – Insights 23Parents of children with a disability or “There is a pretty poor uptake of the Inclusion
complex needs find it difficult to secure Support Program in the area. It is quite onerous
their preferred preschool, and services to access ISP and it can’t work with centres until
are struggling to respond to the rising the child is enrolled—therefore centres will be
numbers of children with complex needs hesitant to take the child if they don’t know
Families looking for support for children with whether they are going to get the support.”
disabilities and complex needs struggle to find —Practitioner, Fairfield, NSW
the right preschool in their local area. Parents
“Centrelink is the most challenging interaction.
expressed the wish that their child could be
There are lots of payments that parents
accommodated in their local preschool rather
may be entitled to, but staff at Centrelink
than having to travel to another area. Finding
don’t actively offer them. You have to know
community support offers additional challenges
about them or hunt them down. My child has
to these families, and if there is more than one
Asperger’s and we weren’t told of the things
child in the family, the challenges multiply.
that you can access. It was just by chance that
We heard from educators that the number of [a peer] mentioned it. Everything I have learned
children with complex needs seeking preschool about Centrelink I got through word of mouth.”
placement is rising dramatically, and preschools —Parent, Windermere, TAS
are struggling to meet the needs of all children5.
Some organisations observed that reduced There is an opportunity to make these support
administrative impost during the COVID-19 programs easier to apply for and administer.
response fee holiday made it possible for them to
accept children with complex or additional needs.
There was also a lack of understanding of the “Parents want to go to their local
support and funding available for children with preschools. We need to make those
disabilities, resulting in less uptake of these
services when they were most needed.
local preschools supportive of kids
with diverse needs.”
5. This assertion was not verified with data, however it is supported
by child protection and juvenile justice data showing that —Parent, Fairfield, NSW
these interventions are statistically more likely in locations of
disadvantage, and that in the case of child protection data,
the problems are continuing to rise. (AIHW, 2019a, 2019b)
24HAVING A SIMPLE ENROLMENT EXPERIENCE
Having chosen a preschool, we heard that the process of enrolling can be
a significant barrier for many families and may deter them from continuing
with the process. Families described being frustrated and overwhelmed by
the complex and repetitive paperwork required. There was confusion about
important dates for enrolment and concerns about missing out on a place
for their child. Gathering official documents, such as birth certificates,
can also be challenging. For many families, difficulties in enrolling may
be the final straw that prevents them from engaging and may also hinder
the development of a trusted relationship with the preschool.
WHAT WE HEARD
Simpler and more responsive enrolment Enrolment is particularly difficult for families
processes can help parents engage from diverse cultural backgrounds. Information
with preschool is often not available in their preferred language,
Families from a diversity of backgrounds and parents struggle to complete complex forms.
described feeling overwhelmed by paperwork. A lack of proficiency in English impedes families
Digital literacy can be a significant barrier for from obtaining the information they need on
families experiencing disadvantage. what preschool options are available and why
preschool is important. Astonishingly, childcare
“When enrolment forms went online,
“It’s the knowledge barrier
services are ineligible for the free services offered
it was difficult because I only use my phone.” by the national Translating and Interpreting and the language barrier
—Parent, Bendigo, VIC Service, reducing the options for families to for those families.”
obtain information. (TIS, 2021)
—Practitioner, Bendigo, VIC
SMALL STEPS, BIG FUTURES • Part 1 – Insights 25BECOMING
PRACTICE EXAMPLE
CHOOSING ENROLLING
AWARE
LODDON MALLEE PRESCHOOL ASSOCIATION
KINDERGARTEN CENTRAL ENROLMENT SERVICE, VICTORIA
PURPOSE LIMITATIONS
To provide a central enrolment point for The LMPA service is limited to the preschool
families looking for a preschool program for programs that choose to participate, which are
their child. The LMPA service provides a single mainly standalone preschool services. Preschool
application form for families to express interest programs delivered within a CBDC setting often
in several (but not all) standalone preschool have their own enrolment processes.
programs in the Bendigo area. Centres can
Another limitation is that when parents are
choose to participate in the central enrolment
offered a place at a service, they are required
service, and doing so is not compulsory.
to complete a new set of service-specific forms
that are often paper-based and are not pre-
“When I can’t speak English, I can’t fill in the forms. POSSIBLE IMPACT
filled with the information they have already
Here in Australia, everyone is busy. You can’t ask The LMPA service aims to reduce the
provided. LMPA conducted a trial in which pre-
your friends to translate for you all the time.” administrative load on parents by offering a
filled forms were given to parents, but this has
—Parent, Fairfield, NSW single place to express interest and enrol in
subsequently been halted due to feedback that
multiple preschool services, rather than having
A review of the enrolment process, with a view to family information changed frequently, and
to apply to each centre. The LMPA service grew
simplify and support enrolment would be beneficial LMPA lacked funding to provide this additional
out of a parent cooperative that identified the
to families. We note that in Victoria, additional workload. A future solution could be a new
need for a simpler way for families to choose
funding has been allocated to local councils to platform or a standardised software service to
and enrol in a preschool program. The service
create a central enrolment point for all centres update information where necessary.
describes one of its aims as helping to collect
in the Local Government Area, in time to support enrolment data to support the management of
MORE INFORMATION
the rollout of free 3 year old kinder in Victoria.6 capacity and utilisation.
https://www.lmpa.org.au
6. For more information about free kinder for 3 and 4 year olds in
Victoria: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/providers/
funding/Pages/freekinder2021.aspx
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