Actions to drive change
Families have more choice about attending a well-supported Aboriginal Community Controlled service.
Tailored ACCO Funding Models
- Phase 2 new initiative – Build Relationships
- Co-design theme/s: Strengthening partnerships with ACCOs | Priority Reform alignment: 2
The Government of South Australia will make a significant new investment in ACCO ECEC services. This investment will focus on increasing funding for preschool and aligned child development supports, consistent with the primary role of the state in early childhood. Sustainable funding for ACCO-led ECEC services is a shared responsibility between the state and federal governments.
The federal Department of Education through the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership recently commissioned a report on tailored and sustainable ACCO funding models.8 The Government of South Australia’s new tailored ACCO funding model is aligned with that report, including its principles of certainty, control, reliability, responsiveness and administrative simplicity. The state will continue to advocate to the Australian Government to also adopt these principles in its reform of funding for ACCO-led ECEC services.
This initiative aims to:
- enable ACCOs to deliver sustainable, integrated, Culturally responsive early childhood education and care (including preschool programs, if self-determined) and wraparound services; and
- complement the role of the Australian Government in funding ACCO-led ECEC services.
Strengthening ACCOs Infrastructure Fund
- Phase 1 new initiative – Build Momentum
- Co-design theme/s: Strengthening partnerships with ACCOs | Priority Reform alignment: 2
A time-limited fund will provide grants to ACCO-led ECEC services to plan, improve and maintain critical infrastructure to deliver early childhood services across South Australia. Flexible funding will support the unique indoor and outdoor infrastructure needs of each service, while facilitating improved connections to place and Culture, and supporting ACCO-led integrated hub facilities.
This initiative complements the Flying Start Infrastructure Grants Program – ACCO stream, which will support services to increase preschool capacity.
This initiative aims to:
- strengthen connection to place and encourage participation in Cultural and Community activities; and
- support ACCO-led services to identify, plan for and access infrastructure opportunities and progress solutions to infrastructure issues.
Flying Start Infrastructure Grants Program – ACCO stream
- Existing initiative
- Co-design theme/s: Strengthening partnerships with ACCOs
ACCOs are leaders in providing Culturally safe and high-quality ECEC services in their Communities. The $40 million Flying Start Infrastructure Grants program is being expanded to support ACCO-led ECEC services to build new or expanded facilities where needed to support more Aboriginal children to access 3 and 4-year-old preschool in this setting.
Sector Strengthening
- Existing initiative
- Co-design theme/s: Strengthening partnerships with ACCOs
The Government of South Australia committed to an Early Childhood Care and Development Sector Strengthening Plan in 2021 under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The OECD is committed to strengthening the ACCO Early Childhood Education and Care sector in South Australia through supporting services to partner to deliver preschool and integrated hubs. South Australian ACCO ECEC services have been provided targeted supports to consider early childhood reform opportunities, including through tailored preschool expression of interest registration processes, tailored support for services and capacity and capability sector strengthening grants. Services are utilising these grants to support quality uplift, workforce development and engagement in opportunities to partner with the OECD.
8 Funding Model Options for ACCO Integrated Early Years Services Final Report (SNAICC with Deloitte Access Economics, 2024)