Children’s advocates in South Australia launch new early years action plan

A new alliance of 13 organisations including Goodstart Early Learning, Playgroup SA and the University of Adelaide has launched a three point plan to give every South Australian child the best possible start in life.

The three-point Action Plan calls for:

• The South Australian Premier to lead early years reform through the National Cabinet process.
• A new workforce strategy to attract and retain educators, teachers and experts in South Australia.
• A formal commitment to a truly universal system which recognises that every child deserves access to quality, inclusive and appropriate early years services.

“A high quality, affordable and universally accessible early learning system provides children with lifelong benefits. But, there are significant barriers like the Activity Test, affordability and childcare deserts that prevent children from accessing early learning and South Australian children are at risk of being left behind unless action is taken now,” Goodstart Early Learning’s National Lead of Social Inclusion, Penny Markham said.

“This is compounded by the early years workforce crisis which has resulted in one in five South Australian long day care services operating under a waiver.” 

Kate Ryan, the President of the Preschool Directors Association of South Australia said better wages and conditions for the early years workforce were central to the plan, which also advocates for reform of South Australia’s teacher registrations systems to attract and retain the best and brightest.

“We have come together because we are deeply driven to see every South Australian child have the opportunity to benefit from a high quality, universally accessible early learning experience delivered by a high quality, valued and recognised workforce,” Kerra-Lee Wescombe, CEO Connect.Ed , Trauma-informed Education and Care added.

“In addition to the very real challenges for the sector and young children and their families in this state, the SA Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care is a prime opportunity for getting early learning reform right and making this one of the best states for children and parents.”

The Action Plan is endorsed by the Australian Association of Infant Mental Health, the Australian Education Union SA Branch, Children and Young People with Disability Australia, Connect.Ed, Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils Australia, Goodstart Early Learning, Playgroup SA, the Preschool Directors Association of South Australia, the South Australian Primary Principals Association, United Workers Union, the University of Adelaide, Robinson Research Institute, the University of South Australia and Welcoming Australia and is expected to be made publicly available in the coming days.