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Uniting NSW.ACT hosts Little Lunch at Parliament House to highlight new campaign
Freya Lucas
Sep 10, 2024
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Uniting NSW.ACT has convened a ‘little lunch’ at Parliament House with the aim of highlighting the one in ten children who continue to be left behind when it comes to early learning.
The provider’s new More than Money campaign seeks to call out the lack of accessibility to quality early learning encountered by many families experiencing disadvantage, including those families living with domestic or family violence, children with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait children, children whose caregiver is a grandparent or unrelated carer, and children from a non-English speaking background.Children from these families, Uniting argues, are most likely to benefit from high quality early learning experiences, however are also amongst those most likely to not have access to them.
"Uniting NSW.ACT wholeheartedly supports the work the Government has already done to make early learning more affordable, but we must address these non-financial barriers to ensure equity of access,” General Manager Impact and Innovation at Uniting NSW.ACT Tamara Pararajasingham said. “While we await the Government’s response to the Productivity Commission’s report on “Early childhood education and care”, Uniting NSW.ACT has invited the Hon Dr Anne Aly MP Federal Minister for Early Childhood Education and Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education Angie Bell MP to join us to learn about the navigation programs we and other Early Learning Service providers are currently undertaking, to ensure all children start primary school on an equal footing.” Uniting’s Links to Early Learning program is a proven solution to addressing and overcoming non-financial barriers to early learning, one which the provider took care to emphasise during the gathering. “Our Linkers advocate for children and their families and support them to navigate complex systems and subsidies to find a high-quality early learning service suitable for their needs,” Ms Pararajasingham said. “They understand trauma and that the challenges these families face can be complicated. They have experience in the early learning sector, and know what services want and need to be more inclusive partners in the community.”
Uniting has conducted research which has identified the help which families need to overcome barriers, showing that the type of assistance required “is often already available and extremely cost effective.” “We believe that recognising the issue of non-financial barriers is a critical piece of the policy puzzle, and providing ongoing funding for Uniting’s Links to Early Learning and similar navigation programs will help the sector to make meaningful change and ensure that no child gets left behind,” Ms Pararajasingham continued. “Education is a human right. Quality early learning equips children with the crucial building blocks needed for lifelong learning and a positive start to school.”
Learn more about Links to Early Learning here. Image shows children and staff from Uniting Salem Early Learning Kambah with Federal Minister for Early Childhood and Youth Hon Dr Anne Aly and Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Youth Angie Bell.
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