Access to childcare

Communities working together to look at early childhood issues from all angles generally make greater progress; for example, understanding the local area or region’s priorities and early childhood needs, understanding what has worked in other local communities, or identifying potential workforce or under-utilised buildings and equipment.

Building an understanding of the different steps involved to progress from your initial idea to the availability of new early childhood education and care places can help with planning your project, in addition to the range of matters that will need to be considered. Local councils are important part of this process from the outset, along with local Regional Development Australia (RDA) associations.

Being able to evidence your community’s early childhood education and care needs is an important early step, so consider:

• waiting lists at existing services and services in nearby towns
• population projections for your community/nearby towns (considering ABS data) including the potential impact of new industry or development in your community and how this will impact on demand
• a community survey that covers specific age groups, hours and types of care required with a forward-looking view
• the impact of lack of early childhood education and care access on workforce participation and attraction.

The South Australian Government has committed to introduce 15 hours of 3-year-old preschool for all South Australian children by 2032, as outlined in the 3-year-old preschool roll-out | Office for Early Childhood Development. Communities are encouraged to factor preschool roll-out plans for their local area into any approaches to identify community needs.

Once you have an understanding of your community’s early childhood education and care needs, you can begin to explore delivery options that best match the forecast demand. This could include expanding an existing service, establishing a new service, or exploring family day care options.

Evaluating the financial viability of your service/s is an important part of considering delivery options.

The Department for Education Family Day Care (FDC) Rural and Remote Incentive Program provides financial support to individuals establishing FDC services in identified rural and remote areas. Email education.ruralremotefdc@sa.gov.au for more information.

Types of early childhood services – provides an overview of early childhood services.

Early Childhood - Department of Education, Australian Government – information on Australian Government subsidies, funds, and programs.

Community Child Care Fund – Department of Education, Australian Government - grants to help approved providers and services address barriers to ECEC participation, targeted to disadvantaged, regional, remote and Indigenous communities.

Approved care types – information on the 4 care types that can administer the Child Care Subsidy.

Become an approved child care provider - Department of Education, Australian Government - how to become approved early childhood education and care provider.

Opening a new service | ACECQA - what you need to know about opening a new service.

For approved providers and services - Education Standards Board information about provider and service approval, and compliance with the law and regulations.

Specific support for Aboriginal services includes Community Child Care Fund Restricted Grant – Department for Education, Australian Government. This grant is an element of the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) program that helps identified ECEC services in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities (such as former Budget Based Funded services) to operate sustainably.

If the most appropriate option is to build, lease or expand an existing service, communities will need to consider the following:

• Purchase or access to land (permission from the building owner, landowner or custodian is required).
• Securing capital funds (sourcing investment opportunities, applying for grants) or attracting a provider to the area to invest themselves in infrastructure.
• Becoming familiar with the regulatory requirements for early childhood education and care infrastructure Quality Area 3: Physical environment | ACECQA.

Building Early Education Fund – investment to build and expand early childhood centres, including in the regions and outer suburbs, has been announced as one of the Australian Government’s next steps to building a universal ECEC system. This may become a future funding opportunity to help your community address infrastructure development, including targeted capital grants. Stay updated as more information becomes available from the Australian Government.

Enabling Infrastructure Program – Department of Primary Industry and Regions, Government of South Australia – medium to large grants available for infrastructure projects that strengthen and build strong regional communities.

South Australia’s Preschool Infrastructure Strategy – The Office for Early Childhood Development (OECD) released the South Australia’s Preschool Infrastructure Strategy in December 2024. This strategy includes the Preschool Infrastructure Grants Program, which provides South Australian Government investment directly to expand preschool facilities where needed. Although we are focused on creating additional preschool capacity, where possible, we will work to support the creation of additional long day care within existing services.

Creating safe facilities: A guide to building and renovating education and care services - Education Standards Board guidance when building a new education and care service or undertaking significant renovations, including legally required safety aspects and good-practice considerations.

Building design standards for government early childhood education and care facilities – Department for Education building design standards for the department’s education and care facilities, which include Part 1 – Strategic Design, Part 2 – Design Principles (Master planning, Architectural and Landscape), Part 3 – Generic Functional Briefs, and Part 4 – Technical Specifications.

Thriving Regions Fund: Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program – provides opportunities for communities to apply for investment in regional, rural and remote Australia based on the principles of unifying regional places, growing economies and serving communities.

We know that attracting and retaining early childhood workforce can be particularly challenging in regional and remote communities. There are a range of initiatives available to grow the early childhood workforce.

The OECD is supporting careers in early childhood through providing new financial and wrap around supports for early childhood educators and teachers while they study or upskill for a career in early childhood and supports communities through grant opportunities to help build and support local early childhood workforces prepare for the roll-out of 3-year-old preschool from 2026.

QualifySA - financial support program includes an additional Grow Your Own allowance for students who want to work in preschool programs (in both long day care and sessional settings) and live and work in regional and remote areas.

Flying Start Workforce Grants for regional, rural and hard-to-staff locations, to support communities to attract, retain and sustain their early childhood workforce, in support of the preschool reforms.

Flying Start Professional Network Grants offer support to new and established professional networks across South Australia’s early childhood sector.

SkillsSA and Fee Free TAFE - subsidised early childhood education and care courses and training.

Tertiary Access Payment - available for school-leavers from regional or remote areas who need to relocate for full-time, higher-level tertiary education (Certificate IV and above) at an education provider located at least 90 minutes by public transport from their family home.

Commonwealth Teaching Scholarships Program - provides up to $40,000 to new undergraduate and up to $20,000 to new postgraduate teacher education students.

Teaching Futures Pathway – designed for those who want to transition into teaching from another career, or have strong connections to low SES, rural or regional communities, or identify as First Nations. Participants earn while they learn, with a part-time support role in a partner school that progresses to a full-time teaching position, and a $16,000 scholarship to offset costs to undertake postgraduate teaching studies at a South Australian university.