Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) applauds the recent decision by the South Australian government to build a workforce to deliver three-year-old preschool and expanded Out of Hours School Care.
The move, part of the government’s response to the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), will help reduce the rate of children who are developmentally vulnerable when they begin school.
“This announcement signals South Australia’s commitment to meaningfully develop and support early childhood education for all, setting an important example for other states,” said CYDA CEO Skye Kakoschke-Moore.
“However, it is vital that the needs of children with disability are explicitly included and considered as reforms are made in this space.”
In its survey report submission to the Royal Commission in December 2022, CYDA noted that ECEC services often lacked specialist skills and knowledge about disability.
Survey respondents reported concerns about staff being stretched thin, as well as bullying, exclusion and segregation taking place in ECEC settings.
One in five reported their child with disability had been refused enrolment, while nearly a quarter were only allowed to attend for a limited number of hours.
“Children with disability face discrimination and exclusion from the earliest ages,” Kakoschke-Moore said.
“This is an opportunity for South Australia to lead the charge on truly inclusive universal early childhood education and care in Australia.”
As part of its reform, the State Government has committed $56 million to expand the ECEC workforce.
It has set a 20-year goal to reduce the rate of children in South Australia who are developmentally vulnerable when they enter school from 23.8 percent to 15 percent.
For more information or further comment, please contact CYDA:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (03) 9417 1025
