Early Years Support Program strengthens ACCO‑Led Early Childhood Sector

Across New South Wales and beyond, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community‑controlled early childhood education and care (ECEC) services are experiencing meaningful support through the Early Years Support (EYS) program, a tailored initiative led by SNAICC, National Voice for Our Children. The program is helping to build capacity, improve service quality and lift outcomes for children, families and communities in culturally grounded settings. 

The EYS program is designed to strengthen Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) that deliver early childhood services. The initiative provides a suite of practical support, mentoring, workforce planning and regulatory guidance that many ACCOs traditionally lack due to limited administrative infrastructure. These supports help services navigate compliance, workforce challenges and quality practices aligned with the National Quality Standard (NQS) and other regulatory frameworks. 

EYS operates in partnership with Aboriginal community early years services across states including New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, and has increasingly extended its reach nationally. Its tailored design recognises the unique cultural, social and community‑specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services. 

One service benefiting from the program is Birrelee Multifunctional Aboriginal Children’s Service (MACS) in Tamworth. According to service leaders, EYS support has strengthened both everyday practice and quality improvement efforts. Centre Director Rachael Phillips highlighted that EYS helped map the service's cultural strengths, such as language, family engagement and community connection, to the NQS, giving educators confidence and clarity about their good practice. 

Birrelee also accessed support navigating administrative requirements, including workforce support schemes that directly influenced staffing stability and wellbeing. These practical supports help reduce time spent on compliance and allow educators to focus more on culturally strong, child‑focused practice. 

Across the participating jurisdictions, EYS connects multiple services and has supported thousands of children and families in accessing culturally safe early learning environments. The evaluation data also points to broader system‑level benefits, including reduced administrative burden and stronger advocacy platforms. 

Despite strong outcomes, the EYS program’s funding concluded at the end of 2025. Advocates and sector leaders emphasize the importance of extending and expanding the initiative to ensure its benefits reach more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Many argue that the model offers a blueprint for scalable, culturally aware support in closing child development and educational equity gaps across Australia. 

National conversations around early childhood reform and Closing the Gap commitments underscore the need for sustained investment in culturally‑led programs. Supporting ACCOs not only advances quality and compliance but strengthens community control, identity and connection, cornerstones of both culturally safe practice and positive early childhood outcomes. 

Original media release: Early Years Support Program Strengthens ACCO‑Led Early Childhood Sector in Tamworth (SNAICC)