Regional Education Commissioner outlines roadmap for improving ECEC access in regional Australia

A universal early childhood education and care (ECEC) service obligation, flexible delivery models and sustainable funding for services operating in thin markets are among the key recommendations outlined in the Regional Education Commissioner Annual Report 2025, which argues that improving access to ECEC is fundamental to the future of regional Australia.

The report positions early childhood education and care as the foundation of educational participation, workforce development and regional prosperity, arguing that children in regional, rural and remote Australia should have equitable access to quality early learning regardless of where they live. 

Regional Education Commissioner Fiona Nash said Australia's productivity and long-term economic success depended on unlocking the potential of regional communities, beginning with high-quality early childhood education and care.

"You can't lift the productivity of the nation without unlocking the potential of regional Australia and that starts with high quality early childhood education and care," Ms Nash said. 

Among the report's key recommendations is the introduction of a universal early childhood education and care service obligation that would make the Australian Government responsible for ensuring ECEC services are accessible to all children in regional, rural and remote Australia. 

While acknowledging the Australian Government's commitment to universal ECEC through the three-day guarantee, the report argues that increasing affordability alone will not deliver equitable access where services are unavailable.

Instead, the Commissioner contends that many regional communities require a different policy approach because metropolitan childcare models are often not financially viable in areas with smaller populations, higher operating costs and ongoing workforce shortages. 

Recognising that no single model will meet the needs of every community, the report recommends expanding support for flexible service delivery models designed specifically for regional, rural and remote Australia. 

These include:

• expanding in-venue Family Day Care, including increasing educator limits in appropriate settings
• allowing greater flexibility for In Home Care in remote communities
• supporting online preschool programs combined with face-to-face care for geographically isolated children
• improving recognition and expanding access to mobile childcare services and mobile preschools. 

The report also supports greater public recognition of mobile preschool services and recommends establishing a peak body to advocate for the sector. 

A recurring theme throughout the report is the need for funding models that reflect the realities of delivering ECEC in regional Australia.

While welcoming recent capital investment through the Australian Government's Building Early Education Fund, the Commissioner argues that infrastructure alone will not ensure ongoing access where enrolments fluctuate or populations are too small to sustain services commercially. 

The report recommends the introduction of operational funding to support services operating in regional, rural and remote thin markets, recognising that market forces alone will not always deliver accessible ECEC for families living outside metropolitan areas. 

The report also identifies opportunities to improve access for geographically isolated families through targeted policy changes.

Among these is a recommendation to extend the Assistance for Isolated Children Distance Education allowance to children aged three and four undertaking approved preschool programs remotely, reducing the financial burden on families who have no option but to deliver preschool learning at home. 

To strengthen the regional workforce, the Commissioner also recommends the development of a national Family Day Care traineeship program, recognising the important role Family Day Care plays in delivering flexible services across regional and remote Australia. 

Throughout the report, early childhood education and care is presented as more than a standalone policy area. Instead, it is positioned as the first stage in a broader education continuum that influences school readiness, workforce participation, regional productivity and long-term community sustainability. 

Collectively, the recommendations call for a more flexible, regionally responsive approach to service delivery and funding, with the goal of ensuring children living in regional, rural and remote Australia have access to the same early learning opportunities as their metropolitan peers.

Read the full report here.