The Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care
Established on 16 October 2022, the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care explored how South Australia could better support children in their early years. The Commission heard from educators, service providers, experts and families sharing evidence and experiences to provide advice to the government on delivering a high-quality early years system that is fit for the future.
Led by the Hon Julia Gillard AC, the terms of reference for the Royal Commission can be found here.
Outcomes of the Royal Commission
The Royal Commission delivered its Final Report to the South Australian Government on 27 August 2023. The report contains 43 recommendations, detailing an ambitious vision for the future of early childhood education and care in South Australia.
The South Australian Government subsequently released its formal response, committing to action on all recommendations and establishing the Office for Early Childhood Development to lead and coordinate implementation of the reforms.
The findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission informed the development of the Flying Start reforms, which include the staged roll-out of 3-year-old preschool from 2026 and a suite of initiatives to support better outcomes for children and families across South Australia.
Key Documents
- South Australian Government Response to the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (February 2024)
- Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care Final Report (August 2023)
- Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care Interim Report (April 2023)
Research reports
- Interim Report: Scenario modelling - supplementary information - Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (August 2023)
- A Brief History of Commonwealth Government Involvement in Early Childhood Education & Care in Australia - Centre for Policy Development (August 2023)
- Three-year-old Preschool Return on Investment Analysis - Deloitte Access Economics (August 2023)
- Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) sector survey findings - Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (June 2023)
- South Australian Royal Commission Stakeholder Roundtable - Workforce - Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (May 2023)
- Issues paper: Expert perspectives on factors that support quality preschool delivery across settings - Early Childhood Australia (May 2023)
- Mapping long day care and non-government preschool in South Australia - Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (March 2023)
- Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) Issues Paper - Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (February 2023)
- Rapid review of the literature and results of an academic pulse survey to determine the evidence behind pre-school for 3-year-old children - University of South Australia (2022)
Detailed submissions and supporting materials, including witness statements, are available on request by contacting oecd.engage@sa.gov.au