Funding Model Options for ACCO Integrated Early Years Services
For many years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early years services have highlighted the funding challenges that impact their ability to provide high quality, holistic services in their communities.
SNAICC – National Voice for our Children has long advocated for these funding challenges to be addressed through a dedicated funding model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early years services that reflects the full cost of service delivery. In response to this advocacy, in 2023 the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership adopted a priority to research funding model options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early years services. SNAICC was engaged by the Australian Government Department of Education on behalf of the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership to undertake this research, and in May 2024 publicly released its final research report.
The project was initially designed and proposed by SNAICC in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early years service providers across the country. It is grounded in decades of leadership from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and community-controlled services and builds on the deep foundation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural child rearing practices that have raised children strong in their cultures and communities for many thousands of years.
SNAICC worked with Dr Jessa Rogers and dandolopartners to undertake a review of the existing evidence and literature on ACCO early years services and their funding arrangements, before conducting nationwide engagement with a range of stakeholders. SNAICC heard directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, services and other stakeholders through nationwide face-to-face consultations with ACCO early years services and families, an online survey and interviews with representatives from all Australian governments. Finally, SNAICC worked in partnership with Deloitte Access Economics to prepare economic modelling and analyse funding model options.
SNAICC’s research confirmed what the ACCO early years sector has been saying for years—that current funding approaches are not fit for purpose and are failing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities. Big changes are needed to reform how ACCO early years services are funded. SNAICC’s Research Report recommends the introduction of a new dedicated funding model for ACCO early years services that comes from one funding source. The model is block-based, needs-based and includes funding for backbone support, with base funding scaled based on population, remoteness and need.