Quality early childhood education has a significant positive impact on a child’s development and future learning outcomes. Children who attend early childhood education for at least a year before starting school are half as likely to have developmental vulnerabilities when they start school as children who have not received early learning services. Despite significant strides in lifting enrolments of children in preschool programs in the year before school (four year olds), Australia lags in enrolment of three-year-olds, and is in the bottom third of countries ranked by the OECD (at 69%).

In this instalment of the ACOSS Policy Webinar series, our guest speakers will explore the future of early childhood education in Australia – how do we make early childhood education affordable for families on low incomes, ensure that all children receive a quality early childhood education, and achieve equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the early years?

Speakers (pictured L to R below):

• Facilitated by Samantha Page, CEO of Early Childhood Australia
• Catherine Liddle, CEO, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
• Kate Griffiths, Grattan Institute's Budget Policy & Institutional Reform program, and co-author of the report Cheaper childcare: A practical plan to boost female workforce participation
• Jay Weatherill, CEO, Thrive by Five

ACOSS extends thanks to event partner HESTA.