Restacking the Odds Impact Report highlights gains in early years systems reform

The Restacking the Odds Impact Report Summary has outlined measurable progress in strengthening early years systems, with partnerships between local communities and early childhood services driving continuous improvement in outcomes for children.

Led by Restacking the Odds, the initiative works with communities across Australia to improve outcomes for children from birth to eight years by strengthening local systems, data use and cross-sector collaboration.

The newly released Impact Report Summary reflects on the second phase of the initiative and provides insight into the outcomes achieved through place-based partnerships.

Restacking the Odds (RSTO) focuses on improving early years outcomes across five key domains:

• children are developmentally on track
• children are engaged in early learning
• children have a positive transition to school
• children are healthy
• children are supported by positive parenting

Central to the model is the use of community-level data to identify gaps and guide local action. The Impact Report Summary highlights how shared data dashboards and regular partnership meetings have supported evidence-informed decision-making across early learning services, schools, health providers and community organisations.

For early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, participation in RSTO partnerships has supported more targeted planning and strengthened alignment with the National Quality Framework, particularly under Quality Area 1, Educational program and practice, and Quality Area 6, Collaborative partnerships with families and communities.

The second phase of RSTO placed a strong emphasis on deepening collaboration with early years services. The report notes that structured partnerships have enabled:

• improved communication between services and local stakeholders
• stronger transitions to school processes
• clearer identification of service access gaps
• collective planning for community-wide priorities

Continuous improvement has been supported through structured governance models and shared accountability mechanisms. Rather than focusing solely on individual service performance, the initiative promotes system-level change to address inequities at a community level.

The Impact Report Summary identifies several key lessons from the second phase:

• sustained collaboration requires stable leadership and long-term commitment
• access to high-quality, timely data is critical to maintaining momentum
• shared language and agreed outcomes strengthen cross-sector alignment
• early engagement with services improves uptake and impact

The report reinforces the importance of place-based reform in addressing persistent disparities in child development outcomes.

RSTO’s approach aligns with national reform priorities aimed at improving school readiness and reducing developmental vulnerability. By supporting communities to work collectively across health, education and social services, the initiative positions early childhood services as central contributors to broader child wellbeing outcomes.

The full Impact Report Summary and further information about the initiative are available via the Restacking the Odds website. 

For services seeking to strengthen data-informed practice and community partnerships, the report offers practical insights into how collaborative, systems-level approaches can drive sustainable improvement in early years outcomes.

The Child protection reflection resource is available to download for free.

Services are encouraged to use the resource as part of continuous improvement planning, professional learning, or regular reflective practice, rather than in response to incidents alone.