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State Government acts immediately on nation-leading Royal Commission report

27 August 2023

The State Government will start work immediately on delivering the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care, which will see South Australia become a national leader in early childhood development and improve the lives of thousands of children.

The government will start by adopting the very first recommendation in the report and set an ambitious target to reduce the rate of South Australian children entering school developmentally vulnerable from 23.8 per cent to 15 per cent within 20 years – well below the national average of 22 per cent.

Work will immediately begin on expanding preschool and Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) in South Australia, starting with an initial investment of $70 million, with more to come.

The State Government will start implementing a further 12 recommendations in the report, including:

  • Commence the rollout of universal three-year-old preschool in 2026 to be completed by 2032.
  • Prioritising the 1,000 most vulnerable children in the state.
  • Become the first Australian state to provide up to 30 hours of preschool per week for the most vulnerable three- and four-year olds.
  • Start a trial of out of hours care in government-run preschools in 2024.
  • Centralise management of OSHC in government schools under the Department for Education, improving quality and access, and modernise OSHC qualification requirements.
  • Expand child development checks to achieve maximum possible participation.
  • Establish an Early Childhood Workforce Fund.
  • Legislate a new Office for Early Childhood Development as a steward for the early childhood development system and to co-ordinate the implementation of the Royal Commission’s recommendations, reporting directly to the Education Minister.

    The State Government will make an initial commitment of $50 million towards the first tranche of required infrastructure works and $20 million towards starting to implement the recommendations, including:

  • $7 million for the Education Standards Board so that every childhood education and care provider is assessed and rated at least every three years.
  • $2.4 million towards the establishment of the new Office for Early Childhood Development.
  • $1.7 million for the out of hours care trial at preschools in 2024.

    The State Government will begin engaging with the Federal Government regarding a further six recommendations which require dialogue with the Commonwealth.

    This includes South Australia leading a national policy conversation on early childhood education and care and actively engaging with the Commonwealth regarding broad fee relief for families accessing preschool in non-government settings.

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