Overview
While the majority of children and families in Australia are doing well, many experience disadvantage, with a number of key indicators pointing to pockets of high vulnerability. Around 20% of children commence school with at least one area of developmental delay and one out of six children aged 0-14 years are living in poverty. These children have reduced opportunities to reach their full potential in terms of education, employment, health, social and societal participation.
Mission Australia recommends that the NSW Government:
- Ensure that foundational supports are part of a disability ecosystem in which there are seamless pathways between mainstream services, foundational supports and the NDIS.
- Ensure that foundational supports are based on the principle of early intervention and are grounded in proven best practices specific to early childhood intervention.
- Ensure that services are inclusive and accessible so that services can meet the needs of all children effectively and all children and families feel welcomed and supported, including by:
- using universal design principles;
- including flexible service options such as outside of office hours contact, and telehealth opportunities in regional and remote settings, alongside face-to-face program options.
- Embed foundational supports within mainstream settings and service systems, including via place-based, multi-agency child and family hubs.
- Increase access to diagnostic services, particularly allied health in regional and remote areas.
- Ensure that there is an appropriately trained and supported workforce to deliver foundational supports, at scale.
- Develop a coordinated or joint commissioning process, integrating items listed in our submission, to ensure clear roles, responsibilities and transparent funding flows to support healthy child development across different systems.
- Consult the Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention Framework once it is published by the University of Melbourne and partners.