Goodstart’s Early Learning Fund impacts highest ever number of children

Early childhood education and care provider Goodstart Early Learning has shared information about its popular Early Learning Fund (ELF), which supported more than 1,000 children experiencing significant vulnerability in 2021 – the highest number of children supported since the fund began in 2015.

Each child participating in the program received a minimum of two days of fee-relief for early learning and care each week in the two years before school. Every child and their family supported by ELF is experiencing financial hardship and living below the poverty line. 

The ELF is made available to eligible children when government assistance isn’t available or has been exhausted, and this includes children at risk of abuse or neglect, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and refugee and humanitarian entrants.

Behind the ELF are three of Australia’s largest not for profits – The Benevolent Society, Goodstart Early Learning and Uniting (NSW/ACT). The Benevolent Society oversees and manages the Fund and Goodstart and Uniting are program partners who identify and offer support to eligible children. All administration and management costs are covered by Goodstart and Uniting. This means 100 per cent of funds raised directly covers each child’s early learning expenses.

In 2021, children supported included: 

• 400+ child at risk of abuse or neglect
• 265+ Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
• 45+ Refugee and humanitarian children.

To learn more about who the fund supported, download a copy of the numbers at a glance and to learn about ELF’s reach and scale since 2015, download a copy of key milestones.