Stability as a foundation for early development: implications for Australia’s ECEC sector

A child’s developmental environment begins before birth and continues to evolve across the places where they live, grow, play and learn. New research from the Early Childhood Scientific Council on Equity and the Environment highlights that stability, across relationships, routines, resources and community conditions, is not simply beneficial, but foundational to healthy development and lifelong wellbeing.

The working paper delivers a clear message for Australia’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector: stability is not a single program or policy, but a system-wide condition that can be intentionally strengthened.

Children’s developmental environments are shaped by interconnected influences, including caregiver relationships, housing, financial security, neighbourhood conditions and daily rhythms. Stability across these domains supports brain development, emotional regulation and the capacity to learn.

When one area becomes unstable, the effects can extend across the entire environment, undermining a child’s sense of safety and predictability. Strengthening stability in any domain, however, can improve outcomes across others.

For ECEC services, this reinforces the importance of consistent staffing, predictable routines and strong family partnerships. These are not operational preferences, they are developmental necessities.

Unpredictable environments disrupt a child’s ability to form secure expectations about the world. Instability, whether linked to housing, caregiver availability or daily routines, can heighten stress responses and limit a child’s capacity to regulate emotions and engage in learning.

In ECEC settings, this often presents as heightened behaviours, difficulty with transitions or challenges forming trusting relationships. These responses reflect a lack of environmental predictability, rather than defiance.

The research highlights the developmental value of consistent routines. Predictable, responsive caregiving helps children understand what to expect, reducing cognitive load and supporting exploration and learning.

Routines also help children build internal frameworks for time, sequence and self-regulation.

For ECEC services, this reinforces the importance of:

• consistent daily rhythms that children can anticipate
• warm, predictable educator responses that support security
• clear communication with families to align routines between home and care
• smooth transitions supported by visual cues, social stories and relational continuity

These practices are embedded within quality frameworks, and the research strengthens the case for maintaining them despite workforce and operational pressures.

Stability does not require rigidity. Children benefit from a balance between predictable structure and developmentally appropriate novelty.

New experiences support curiosity and learning, but they are most effective when grounded in stable relationships and routines. This reflects established play-based approaches, where environments remain consistent while learning experiences evolve.

Stability is multidimensional. Housing, financial security, caregiver wellbeing, community safety and environmental conditions all interact to shape a child’s experience.

Policies beyond the ECEC sector, including those related to housing, employment and climate – can significantly influence family stability.

For the sector, this highlights the importance of:

• cross-sector collaboration with health, housing and community services
• advocacy for policies that reduce inequity and instability
• service models that recognise the broader context of each child’s life

Targeted stabilising interventions,  including financial support, relational continuity and access to community resources, can improve behaviour, cognitive outcomes and emotional development.

The working paper identifies practical ways to create, maintain and restore stability. For ECEC services, key priorities include:

• strengthening relational continuity by minimising unnecessary staff changes and supporting key educator approaches
• embedding predictable routines that are clearly communicated to children and families
• supporting families experiencing instability through warm referrals, flexible enrolment and non-judgemental communication
• building organisational stability through strong governance, workforce planning and trauma-informed leadership
• engaging community partners to address broader determinants of instability

These priorities align with the National Quality Standard, particularly Quality Areas 1, 2, 5 and 6, reinforcing that stability is both a pedagogical and governance responsibility.

The research concludes that policies and programs designed to create, maintain and restore stability strengthen the foundations for healthy development.

For the ECEC sector, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Stability is not achieved through isolated initiatives, but through systems that prioritise consistency, equity and relational trust.

As services respond to workforce pressures and increasing family complexity, the message is clear: stability is not a luxury. It is a core condition for development, and one the sector is uniquely positioned to influence.

Source: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University – The Importance of Stability in the Developmental Environment