Historic co-investment delivers culturally safe early learning hub for Derby community

A landmark $20.4 million co-investment between the Albanese Government, the Western Australian Government and philanthropy will see a new culturally safe Early Learning and Family Centre established in Derby, Western Australia, strengthening integrated early childhood education and care (ECEC) provision in one of the state’s most remote communities.

A new Early Learning and Family Centre in Derby, Western Australia, is set to reshape access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) and family support across the region.

Backed by a combined $20.4 million investment, the project brings together the Albanese Government, the Cook Labor Government, the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children (IDAC) and Minderoo Foundation in what is being described as one of the largest co-investments between government and philanthropy in Australia’s early years landscape.

The centre will be owned and operated by Ngunga Group Women’s Aboriginal Corporation, embedding community leadership at the heart of the model.

Scheduled to open in 2029, the Derby Early Learning and Family Centre will initially provide 30 early learning places, expanding to 48 places over time. The service will also offer 30 after-school care places, increasing to 35.

The facility is designed to support families in Derby, Mowanjum and Pandanus Park, communities where access to high-quality, not-for-profit early learning remains constrained.

The investment aligns with national efforts to expand supply in areas of unmet demand and improve equitable access to early education. Increasing participation in quality ECEC is strongly linked to improved developmental and educational outcomes, particularly for children experiencing disadvantage.

Under the National Quality Framework (NQF), approved providers are required to meet the National Quality Standard (NQS) across seven quality areas, including educational program and practice, children’s health and safety, and collaborative partnerships with families and communities. Embedding these standards within a community-led model is expected to strengthen both quality and engagement.

The Derby facility will operate as a two-building hub on a single site, bringing together early learning and a suite of wraparound services.

In addition to long day care and outside school hours care, the centre will provide:

• playgroups
• school holiday programs
• occasional care (creche)
• family workshops and seminars
• parenting support and training

The model integrates early learning with maternal and child health services and broader family support, creating a single access point for families.

Integrated service delivery has been a consistent reform focus across Australian early years policy, recognising that child development outcomes are shaped by health, wellbeing, education and family stability. Co-location of services reduces barriers to access and supports earlier intervention.

A defining feature of the project is its commitment to culturally safe early childhood education for First Nations children.

The centre will be led by Ngunga Group Women’s Aboriginal Corporation, ensuring governance and service delivery reflect local cultural knowledge and priorities. Partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations is widely recognised as critical to building trust, strengthening engagement and supporting children’s sense of identity and belonging.

Federal Early Childhood Minister Senator Dr Jess Walsh said delivering quality early learning in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations builds strong connections, confidence and belonging through the early years and beyond.

Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna said the community-led approach would support the best possible outcomes for children and families across the region.

Cultural safety in ECEC settings is closely aligned with Quality Area 6 of the NQS, Collaborative partnerships with families and communities, which requires services to engage respectfully and meaningfully with the communities they serve.

The broader reform agenda was also highlighted in response to the release of the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) report this week.

Comments attributable to Minderoo Foundation Executive Director for Communities Penny Dakin:

“ ACECQA report reveals what many in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector already know, Australia’s early years system needs national leadership and accountability if it is to provide the safe and supportive experiences every child deserves."

“It is critical that the issues called out are addressed, as a universally accessible, high-quality ECEC system is foundational to positive life outcomes for children and the nation’s long-term prosperity."

“Thrive by Five welcomes the changes confirmed today, they are necessary steps forward. However, alongside these, we are calling on the Federal Government to invest in a National ECEC Reform Blueprint in May’s Federal Budget."

“Australia has powerful and impactful ECEC ambitions, but the potential in these plans will only be realised if quality, safety and transparency are built into the system by design.”

The Australian Government is contributing $9 million through the $1 billion Building Early Education Fund. This is the first IDAC project to receive funding through the national fund.

A further $11.4 million is being invested by the Western Australian Government and Minderoo Foundation through the Early Years Partnership (EYP).

The EYP is a 10-year collaboration between the Cook Labor Government, Minderoo Foundation and four communities: Derby, Armadale West, Bidyadanga and Central Great Southern. The partnership aims to improve development, health and learning outcomes for children aged birth to four years.

Previous initiatives under the EYP in Derby have included practical access solutions, such as a four-wheel-drive bus supporting families in Pandanus Park to attend early learning programs and health appointments.

The Derby Early Learning and Family Centre also forms part of a broader $100 million partnership between the Albanese Government and IDAC, designed to increase both infrastructure supply and service capacity across integrated early years settings.

For the ECEC sector, the Derby Early Learning and Family Centre offers a model that combines infrastructure investment, integrated service delivery and community governance.

As governments seek to expand access to affordable early learning while lifting participation rates, particularly in regional and remote communities, the Derby project illustrates how cross-sector collaboration can accelerate progress.

By embedding cultural safety, aligning funding streams and situating early learning within a broader ecosystem of family support, the initiative aims to strengthen long-term outcomes for children and families in Derby and surrounding communities.

With doors expected to open in 2029, the centre represents both a practical increase in supply and a structural shift towards more coordinated early years investment – a direction that many across the sector have long advocated.

For further detail, read the full ministerial media release.