Media release
Children and Young People with Disability Australia has welcomed the announcement made by Minister for Early Childhood Education Anne Aly for a $21.2 million investment to the Government’s Inclusion Support Program.
The Federal Government’s Inclusion Support Program helps children with additional needs access the services and support they need in their early years.
CYDA CEO Skye Kakoschke-Moore said that accessible and inclusive early childhood experiences are one of the surest and most sustainable pathways to an inclusive life.
“When all aspects of these experiences, including play, learning, care, education, and development, are inclusive of every child’s individual needs, they bring lifelong benefits to the child, their family, peers, and their community.
“Children and young people with disability face intersecting discrimination and exclusion from the earliest ages. This spans the early childhood education and care, medical and health service sector, and the community, all while they are also going through a significant and once in a lifetime developmental phase.
“This discrimination and exclusion can have lifelong impacts if not addressed early.
“This investment is an example of the kind of commitment and investment we need to see now and into the future to ensure that each and every child can access high quality early learning and achieve their full potential.
“We’re looking forward to the findings of the review of the Inclusion Support Program and hope that it will lead to meaningful reforms benefiting children and families as originally intended.”
The CYDA CEO said the upcoming Thrive by Five Early Learning and Disability Symposium on 26th July is an opportunity to find out how we can make the existing early learning system more inclusive and encourage decision makers to commit to the reform urgently needed.
“Right now, families and caregivers have to navigate a complex and disintegrated early childhood system, especially for children with disability.
“These systems and places span across different levels of governments and departments, making the whole situation extremely disheartening and taxing for the people involved.
“CYDA, along with the rest of Thrive by Five campaign partners, will be speaking to parents, educators and children with lived experience about the drawbacks of the current system and engage a range of policymakers and researchers to give their input and recommendations to the Federal, state and territory governments.”
For interviews, information and case studies, please contact:
Skye Kakoschke-Moore
CEO, Children and Young People with Disability Australia
0402 519 663
[email protected]
