EYS program delivers strong outcomes, but long-term funding remains critical

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children’s Early Years Support (EYS) program is gathering momentum as a transformative model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood education and care (ECEC). The Sector recently spoke with Catherine Liddle SNAICC Chief Operating Officer and Rachel Phillips Centre Director Birrelee MACS as key contributors about the program’s progress, cultural strength and the urgent case for sustained investment.

 

Fiona: You were recently in Canberra speaking with MPs about SNAICC’s Early Years Support program. What’s been the overall response from political leaders so far?

 

Catherine: The response has been encouraging. Ministers and Parliamentarians were deeply engaged and receptive to hearing firsthand stories of how EYS is transforming outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. There’s strong recognition that this model is delivering what Closing the Gap reforms were designed to achieve. 

 

While this praise by government and sector stakeholders is positive, we still find that funding for programs like EYS operate on short‑term ‘pilot’ funding cycles and we would really like to see that change so we can ensure continuity for our services.”

 

It’s clear from this exchange that the EYS model garners genuine interest within government corridors. However, the caveat, short‑term funding, persists. Sustainability emerges as a central theme: without longer‑term resourcing, momentum risks being stalled before lasting sector change takes hold.

 

Fiona: The recent Deloitte evaluation described EYS as a “highly effective and valued initiative.” From your perspective, what makes this model so successful in strengthening the ACCO early years sector?

 

Catherine: The EYS program succeeds because it reduces administrative and systemic burdens, enabling services to focus on delivering high‑quality, culturally strong care, which allows SNAICC to react quickly to local challenges while connecting services to national reform efforts under Closing the Gap. 

 

EYS is responsive to our communities. It is led by the people that it aims to support and is backed by decades of relationships and trust. We know the services reduces isolation among our services and strengthens networks across ACCOs while providing practical support for services. While mainstream ECEC’s often have access to intermediary or head‑office‑like supports, community‑controlled services don’t, so EYS helps to bridge that gap.

 

Fiona: What message would you most like the broader ECEC sector or the government to take away about the importance of community‑led early education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children?

 

Catherine: When Aboriginal organisations lead early childhood education, our children thrive. 

 

Community‑led services understand the unique cultural and developmental needs of families and consistently achieve stronger outcomes for children’s wellbeing and readiness for school. They go beyond the mainstream model of early education and care to provide holistic support for our families and communities and ultimately that results in our children having more access and being more engaged in early education.

 

This message serves as both reflection and a challenge: a re‑framing of what leadership and service might look like in the Aboriginal early years sector. It emphasises identity, culture and community‑control as central to quality outcomes, not mere add‑ons.

 

Fiona: The program currently supports more than 2,200 children, including 1,700 Aboriginal children, but demand is growing. What would expanding EYS mean for your community and others still on waitlists?

 

Catherine: It would mean more families, children and communities could access the same quality support that is already changing lives. 

 

Recent AEDC data shows that while overall developmental outcomes for Australian children are on the decline, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have been resilient to this national trend which shows ACCO‑led early years services are leading the way. 

 

With demand growing and hundreds of children still on waitlists, it’s critical that this trusted model continues to be supported and expanded, ensuring no child misses out on the early learning opportunities that set them up for lifelong success. 

 

Expanding EYS would strengthen the ACCO ECEC workforce nationally and ensure more children start school confident, connected, and culturally strong.

 

Expansion, therefore, is about more than numbers, it’s about seizing a living opportunity for equity and readiness. The link between cultural safety, service‑quality and outcomes is explicit in the response.

 

Fiona: How has the EYS program helped your centre improve service quality or better meet the National Quality Standard (NQS)? Can you share a specific example?

 

Rachel: The EYS program has played a significant role in helping Birralee Multifunctional Aboriginal Children’s Service (MACS) improve our service quality and better meet the National Quality Standard (NQS). The EYS team provides targeted and relevant information, updates and practical examples of the National Quality Framework (NQF) through emails, workshops, gatherings, meetings and one‑on‑one support, depending on our needs. 

 

As a MACS service, we have sometimes been perceived as not meeting the standards, often due to being seen as ‘out of scope’. This has affected our confidence during assessments and reporting. However, NSW EYS offered tailored support during our first assessment and rating. 

 

Their team visited our service, observed our practices and helped build confidence among our educators by highlighting that many of our ‘normal’ practices were actually examples of best practice and demonstrated exceeding themes. 

 

Having an established relationship with NSW EYS meant we could engage authentically and the long‑standing relationship with SNAICC National has built a deep understanding of our history, philosophy and community connections. As a result, during our first Assessment and Rating, Birralee received an ‘Exceeding’ rating.”

 

During our assessment, the EYS team observed our culturally embedded practices, such as Gamilaraay language lessons, community engagement, holistic care, strong governance and leadership styles. They helped us recognise that these practices were not just routine, but were in fact exceeding the NQS, which boosted our team’s confidence and pride, whilst having a positive impact on our overall rating.

 

Fiona: Many ACCO leaders have spoken about the administrative burden on services. How has EYS supported your team to shift time and energy back to children and families?

Rachel: The administrative burden on our service has, at times, been overwhelming and has directly impacted our staffing structure. While some services have accessed targeted support to reduce this burden, Birralee has relied on the EYS team for ongoing, tailored assistance. 

 

EYS has supported us by providing upskilling opportunities for our workforce, connecting us with scholarship programs, helping us engage trainees and delivering clear, direct guidance to navigate complex administrative systems. 

 

A key example of this support was their assistance in completing our Workers Retention Payment (WRP) application, which was successful and ensured positive outcomes for our employees. EYS plays a crucial role in keeping our service up to date with changes in regulations and legislation, providing quick, clear communication and information that supports our compliance and quality. 

 

I often refer to this as my ‘cheat sheet’. This has been particularly important during recent changes to child safety legislation and regulations, where timely updates and practical advice have been essential. EYS not only ensures we receive accurate, relevant information as soon as it becomes available, but also creates opportunities for us to express our concerns and stay informed about their advocacy efforts. 

 

As our peak body, they keep us updated on how they are representing and sharing our concerns at both national and state levels, which gives us confidence that our voices are heard and considered in decision‑making processes. With EYS’s support, I have been able to focus more on Birralee’s strategic plan and continue advocating for our children and families. This includes:

 

• Advocating for changes to the activity test 
• Applying for funding opportunities to deliver wrap‑around services and support our growth
• Participating in the local place‑based partnership, where we made history by signing a local partnership agreement with our local ACCOs (TACCO) and the Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) to close the gap

 

As a result, we have more educators working face‑to‑face with children, increased participation in quality, culturally safe environments, and wrap‑around support — not just for Birralee, but for ACCOs across NSW and nationally. EYS’s support has been instrumental in shifting our time and energy back to where it matters most: our children, families and community.”

 

Fiona: The report highlights that 86 % of participating services experienced stronger, culturally safe relationships. What does this look like in practice, and why is it important for children’s learning and wellbeing?

 

Rachel: Stronger, culturally safe relationships in our service are built on decades of advocacy, trust and genuine connection. SNAICC has been our peak body for nearly 40 of our 50 years of operation, consistently engaging with and responding to our needs through advocacy and creating opportunities for services like ours. The NSW EYS, as an extension of SNAICC, brings a more tailored and reflective approach to supporting Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs). Although the EYS initiative is relatively new and still a pilot, its success is grounded in these long standing relationships and deep community connections. 

 

In practice, culturally safe relationships mean that EYS not only supports our service operationally but also champions our cultural practices and identity. They create a space where we feel safe and proud to share our stories, traditions and successes, helping us recognise and celebrate the strengths within our community. This environment of trust and respect is vital for children’s learning and wellbeing. When children are surrounded by educators and a community that values and reflects their culture, they develop a strong sense of belonging and identity, which is fundamental to their confidence, engagement and lifelong learning. Culturally safe relationships also ensure that families feel respected and included, further strengthening the support network around each child.

 

I have often said “we don’t work WITH or FOR our community, we ARE community”. Culture is as the heart of who we are and at the heart of what we do at Birrelee.

 

Fiona: From a leadership perspective, what has it meant for your centre to be supported through EYS? How has it impacted your staff, families or your own role?

 

Rachel: I can honestly say that since SNAICC EYS has been established, I have not only met my career goals, I have grown into a space I could only dream of. SNAICC EYS has become a bridge for me to enter rooms and platforms where both mine and Birralee’s stories have been heard, recognised and influenced positive change. I have gained strong professional relationships with colleagues across Australia and with many SNAICC staff. This has not only resulted in positive outcomes for Birralee, but many services across the nation. 

 

SNAICC EYS has had direct impacts on:

– Our ‘Exceeding’ rating that was given for our first A&R 3 years ago.
– Workers Retention Payment approval.
– Increased funding.
– Sharing our stories with decision‑makers at both national and state levels to influence decision‑makers.

 

Fiona:What would it mean to you and your team to see the EYS program not only continued, but expanded nationally?

 

Rachel: If the SNAICC EYS program were to not only continue but expand nationally, it would mean that our voices have truly been heard and valued. It would show that when pilot programs deliver real results, backed by both data and participant feedback, that those successes are recognised, rewarded and built upon. In the current environment of Early Childhood Education, and especially for ACCOs, this kind of support is essential. 

 

EYS provides services like ours with up‑to‑date information and resources, helping us stay compliant through ongoing changes and challenges. More importantly, they offer the backbone support that allows us to keep our focus where it matters most with our children. National expansion of the EYS program would ensure that more communities benefit from culturally safe, community‑led support, strengthening the quality and impact of early education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children right across the country. It would be a powerful acknowledgment of the importance of our work, our voices and our leadership in shaping the future for our children and families.

 

The Early Years Support (EYS) program stands not only as a successful pilot, but as a proven blueprint for sustained, culturally safe early education. As highlighted through the voices of leaders like Catherine Liddle and Rachel Phillips, EYS is transforming services, lifting quality, and reconnecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with early learning systems that reflect who they are.

 

But transformation requires time and time needs funding. Without long-term investment, the risk is not just to the program’s future, but to the futures of the children and communities it supports. Recognising the value of community-led models means backing them with more than words. It means embedding them in policy, resourcing them sustainably, and respecting the leadership they bring.

 

The message is clear: when Aboriginal organisations lead, children thrive. Ensuring that the EYS program expands beyond pilot status is not just an investment in early education,  it is a commitment to cultural integrity, community strength and long-term equity. The evidence is in. Now is the time to act.