7 October 2026 - Getting ready to launch
This e-bulletin is for our new partners preparing to deliver 3-year-old preschool in Term 1 2027.
Use the drop-down menu below to read the latest e-bulletin.
- Continue developing your Flying Start Partnership Plan. Plans are due Sunday 1 November but may be submitted for approval as soon as they are completed. Aim to have your goals developed by the end of September.
- Continue to familiarise yourself with the Policy and Funding Guide released for 2027 delivery.
- Save the date for Leaders Forum 4 - Tuesday 10 November 2026.
- Attend the Flying Start webinars.
From 2027 there is a new approach to obtaining parent/guardian consent to share information and for confirming preschool enrolment in the Flying Start 3- and 4-year-old preschool program.
Partner services and providers will need to complete two steps with families:
- Gain consent – where parents/guardians consent to sharing personal information with the OECD.
- Issue confirmation notice – where parents/guardians confirm their child's funded 3- or 4-year-old preschool arrangements.
Where consent has already been obtained from families for 2027 preschool enrolments (using the 2026 Declaration and Consent forms), services will not need to ask families to complete the new 2027 forms.
The 2026 Declaration and Consent forms will be removed from the OECD website after the Term 4 data submission process is completed. Any new enrolments after this period should follow the new 2027 process.
Visit the Partner Portal to learn more about the changes and access the new forms
The South Australian Government has committed $1.9 billion to early childhood reforms, including the roll-out of Flying Start 3-year-old preschool.
ACIL Allen, a research and advisory firm, has been engaged to help the OECD learn from the Flying Start implementation so far.
This work will:
- explore how the Flying Start reforms are being implemented across South Australia
- identify what's working well and where improvements can be made
- provide advice to support ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement.
Joyce Cleary, Squirrel Maine and others from ACIL Allen – or your OECD Local Team - will be reaching out to selected partner services to meet with staff and families.
What does this work involve?
Staff and families from a selection of Flying Start partner services will have the opportunity to share their experiences of the reforms.
- ACIL Allen will conduct confidential stakeholder engagement sessions with families and staff from selected services before the end of the year. A small number of providers with multiple services will also be engaged.
- Engagement sessions will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time and are expected to last 30 to 60 minutes.
- Interviews with staff and families will be conducted primarily in person, with online participation options available where needed.
- Initial contact may be from Joyce, Squirrel or through OECD Local Teams.
- Families who participate will be remunerated for their time.
Gathering insights from those involved in delivering and experiencing Flying Start will help inform ongoing improvements and support the successful implementation of the reforms across South Australia.
No action is needed at this time, we are sharing this information to keep you informed. More details will be provided if your service is selected.
As part of the Trauma-informed Practice (TiP) Coaching Program, Connect.Ed facilitates regular Trauma-Informed Practice Community of Practice sessions online.
These Community of Practice sessions are open to all Flying Start Partner services. If your service delivers Preschool Plus, you can also access the TiP Coaching Program free of charge.
These sessions expand on the foundational TiP training (required by all Flying Start partner services) by providing an opportunity for educators and leaders to:
- connect with others across the sector
- reflect on trauma-informed practice
- share experiences and challenges
- explore practical strategies
- continue building confidence in embedding trauma-informed approaches within their service.
The Community of Practice is intended to be a supportive and reflective space, with discussion shaped by the questions, experiences and priorities participants bring to each session.
For upcoming session availability and further information contact Connect.Ed: tip@connecteducation.info
Gowrie SA will deliver in-person and online Preschool Toolkit professional learning sessions for educators, teachers and educational leaders between November 2026 and March 2027.
These sessions are for those that haven’t attended previous Preschool Toolkit professional learning sessions or those that only attended one session in 2025-2026.
The professional learning sessions complement the Preschool Toolkit resources and support professionals to embed Preschool Toolkit practices within their services and deliver educational programs appropriate to the unique learning and development outcomes of children participating in 3- and 4-year-old preschool.
Flying Start partners can use their Preschool Toolkit allocation to backfill attendance at two professional learning sessions in the first year of their Partnership.
Once dates for the sessions are available, registration will be via the online learning platform Plink and promoted through the e-bulletin.
Advanced child safety training for the early childhood education and care sector is now available. This includes 3 additional courses which build on the mandatory foundation training and focus on:
- creating child safe cultures
- recognising, assessing and responding to safeguarding concerns
- leadership and governance.
While foundation training applies broadly across the sector, advanced training is targeted to:
- staff who work directly with children
- people in leadership and management positions.
Under the National Law, staff have plenty of time to complete the training.
Anyone who holds a relevant role before 30 September 2026 must complete advanced training by 31 March 2027.
Anyone who starts working in a relevant role after 30 September 2026 must complete advanced training within 3 months of their start date.
Foundation training reminder
The transition period for foundation child safety training has now ended. Anyone starting work or volunteering in an education and care service must complete the foundation training before working directly with children or within 14 days of being employed, engaged or appointed - whichever occurs first.
For more information about who needs to complete the training, dates and how to complete the training visit the National Child Safety Training website.
There’s still time to share feedback on the Early Years SA app and help inform future improvements.
The app supports South Australian families with trusted, age-appropriate information about children’s learning, development, health and wellbeing, as well as practical tips, activities, resources and links to early childhood services.
Through a short YourSAy survey, we’re asking parents and carers what they would like to see in the app and how it could better support their needs.
We would appreciate your help in sharing this opportunity with families in your preschool community through your usual communication channels, such as newsletters, emails, or parent communication platforms, and by sharing our social posts:
The survey can be completed online via the YourSAy website and closes Friday 30 October 2026.
Thank you for helping us reach South Australian families and ensuring their experiences and ideas inform future improvements to the Early Years SA app.
Our OECD hotline is getting an upgrade!
To better support you, our 1800 868 657 number will now give you a few options to select to help make sure you’re directed to the best place.
You’ll still be able to get in touch with your Local Team quickly for any questions or queries about Flying Start.
Looking for a previous e-bulletin?