Four new early childhood education and care (ECEC) services will be set up in remote locations under a wider $29.9 million expansion of the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) restricted program.
The new services will be run by First Nations-led organisations in these locations:
- Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory
- Puuya Foundation in Lockhart River, Queensland
- Napranum Aboriginal Land Council in Napranum, Queensland
- Wunan Foundation in Kununurra, Western Australia.
The funding is part of the government’s commitment to achieving Closing the Gap targets. The aim is to increase participation rates of First Nations children in ECEC settings.
The size of the four services is expected to range from 20 to 50 First Nations children per site.
SNAICC, the national voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, is the Community Partner for the new sites. Its role is to support the setting up and ongoing implementation of community-led and culturally safe ECEC services.
The expansion funds were initially announced in August 2021.