Commonwealth Closing the Gap annual report and 2024 implementation plan released

The Australian Government has released the 2023 Closing the Gap annual report and its 2024 implementation plan. 

The report assesses progress against Closing the Gap targets over 2023, and outlines strategic priorities to improve Closing the Gap targets over 2024.

Closing the Gap targets three (engage in high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education) and four (ensure children thrive in their early years) will be of relevance to the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. 

Key achievements from 2023 included:

• strengthened engagement with SNAICC through the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership
• changes to the activity test for First Nations families.

Key actions that which the Department of Education will be focusing on in 2024 include:

• developing a formal partnership agreement between the Commonwealth and SNAICC
• continuing the work of the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy Partnership
• expanding Connected Beginnings to 50 sites by 2024–25
• finalising the Early Years Strategy in early 2024
• developing the Preschool Outcomes Measure for trial in 2025
• driving improved participation in preschool in the year before full-time schooling.

The report also recognises Connected Beginnings as a case study of progress against Priority Reform 4.

Connected Beginnings is a grants program that helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children get the best start to life. The program supports self-determination through community level Data Dashboards. 

The dashboards give communities access to accurate, current and meaningful data about children’s and families’ health and early childhood services.

Read the Commonwealth Closing the Gap 2023 annual report and 2024 implementation plan or use this link to learn more about how the Department is working to close the gap in ECEC.