Submission: Advocating for Inclusion and Early Intervention in ECEC
Thank you for the opportunity to speak and contribute to this important discussion. Advocating for positive change within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) has always been a dream of mine. With the added inclusion and early intervention at the forefront, I am truly grateful for the chance to share my perspective.
As I mentioned during the session, I am both a mother of a neurodiverse child and neurodiverse myself, and we are both supported under the NDIS. This lived experience gives me a deep understanding of the challenges families face, and the critical role educators play in creating environments where every child can thrive.
Thriving Kids Program
While there is limited public information available about the Thriving Kids program, I believe it is essential to consider its design and implementation carefully. Early Years Educators have been advocating for over a decade to be recognized as the professionals we truly are. We spend every day with children from birth to six years within Early Learning services (childcare services) and build the strongest relationships with families during this foundational period of a child’s development.
Our role is not only educational—it is foundational. We are often the first to identify developmental differences and provide support that can change a child’s trajectory. For programs like Thriving Kids to succeed, they must:
- Embed educator expertise in planning and delivery.
- Prioritize inclusion and early intervention as core principles.
- Provide accessible training and resources so educators can confidently implement strategies that support all children.
Why This Matters
Early intervention works best when it is timely, consistent, and embedded in everyday practice. Educators are uniquely positioned to deliver this because of our daily interactions and trusted relationships with families. Recognising and empowering educators as key partners will ensure programs like Thriving Kids achieve meaningful, lasting impact. While the Hub idea is an amazing one we need to get families to engage within the services so, I feel the foundational work could be done within services and build positive engagement building further awareness to the wider community. Then with the CCS hour’s being reviewed from 5th January 2026 this allows better access for families to engage in early education, when in previous times this wasn’t available as some families would be paying full fees, leaving this not viable for our most vulnerable families.
However, we would need to include a wraparound approach from professionals to build confidence and capacity. Which is talked about in Full article: An Early Start to Self-Regulation: Evaluating the
Effects of an Early Childhood Self-Regulation Intervention on Educator Beliefs, Knowledge, and
Practice
Parent Feedback on Navigating NDIS
Through my professional experience and community engagement, I have heard consistent feedback from families navigating the NDIS system:
- Many parents feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start.
- Long waitlists and pushback from allied health partners often lead to families feeling defeated and giving up. This highlights the need for stronger collaboration between educators, families, and support services to ensure children receive timely intervention.
My Personal Experience with Schooling
My son’s schooling journey reflects a broader challenge. We initially chose a private school, believing it would provide better support than our local catchment school. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and he has since returned to his local catchment. While I understand the purpose of catchment systems, children with developmental delays and neurodiversity thrive in environments tailored to their needs—and catchment schools do not always complement this. This is an area I believe warrants further consideration. While I do not have specific data to support this, my feedback is based on lived experience and professional networking with families and community partners.
While Dr. Wade is correct that parents are the primary carers, many families in low SES areas simply don’t have the capacity. They want to do what’s best for their children, but they are hanging on by a thread—worried about their next meal, work commitments, and mental health.
I have families who need the Allied health visiting the schools and early learning services due to the restrictions in allied health working hours. Families need to work to service and provide for their family so having these services in places of Education to support access for children without financial impacting families. My public school has just this week sent out a request for allied health to be at home because they don’t have the capacity to support with limited spaces and the increase in children needing to access the services. In WA the Kindy trial is already showcasing the pressure they are putting on both schooling and early learning services without consulting with the professionals on the floor is what I’m hearing. – No report to confirm – just what I’ve heard from the ground working within both spaces within my networks. This is why a wrap-around support system is essential. In my 10 years working within these communities, I’ve seen that while parents are the primary advocates for their children, some families need professionals to champion their child’s needs and help them navigate and advocate for the support structures required.
I can’t speak to multicultural experiences yet, as I don’t have enough exposure in that space, but I can confidently speak to Western cultural families based on the referrals and support I’ve provided over the years.
Pressures Within Organisations- Inclusion portal
Services are often told that children must transition into rooms with developmentally aged peers— even when our professional judgment suggests they are not ready. If we do not comply, funding becomes inaccessible. However, WA regulations (Education and Care Services National Regulations 2012, r.123A) allow flexibility.
A child can be treated as up to six months older or younger if it is developmentally appropriate, agreed upon by the parent, and documented by the service. However, this doesn’t reflect that if the child is delayed, they can stay back (exception being WA Regs).
This regulation supports professional discretion, yet current funding models undermine it. Aligning funding with these regulations would empower educators to make decisions based on developmental needs rather than compliance pressures.
Connection to Research
The report “An Early Start to Self-Regulation” emphasises the importance of social and emotional wellbeing for children. Smaller ratios allow educators to build stronger connections, which in turn supports emotional security and readiness to learn. I strongly agree with these findings and can see it from my years working on the floor, we thought it was a Covid impacted situation but we haven’t seen a change we have seen the consistency in children’s social and emotional regulation development decreasing with the increase in mental health and separation anxiety—reducing ratios is not just a staffing issue; it is a quality and wellbeing issue of our future citizens. Implications from the research:
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Theoretical alignment: Supports Desimone’s framework—effective training enhances educator knowledge and practice, improving child outcomes.
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Evaluation significance: Measuring educator-level change is essential for sustainability.
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Practical recommendation: Self-regulation programs should integrate educator-focused components (training, reflection, embedded tools).
Parent Feedback on NDIS Navigation
Families consistently report feeling overwhelmed, unsure where to start, and defeated by long waitlists and pushback from allied health partners. Many simply give up. This highlights the urgent need for better collaboration between educators, families, and support services.
My Personal Experience with Schooling
My son’s schooling journey reflects systemic challenges. We initially chose a private school, believing it would provide better support than our local catchment school. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and he has since returned to his local catchment. While I understand the purpose of catchment systems, children with developmental delays and neurodiversity thrive in environments tailored to their needs—and catchment schools do not always complement this.
This is an area that needs review. While I do not have formal data, my feedback is based on lived experience and professional networking with families and community partners.
Recognising ECEC as the Professionals They Are
I agree with Ms. Maddison’s statements and want to build on them. The introduction of the three day guarantee for families is a positive step toward improving accessibility to care, and it will greatly support vulnerable families. However, we have not provided the same level of support to ECEC services to manage the additional challenges this may present. The Thriving Kids initiative could be a powerful way for government to demonstrate recognition of ECEC educators as a vital part of children’s education. Too often, we are forgotten. This program has the potential to give educators the skills and tools to support the children who need it most—but to achieve this, we must also consider ratio adjustments.
Early Intervention: A Wrap-Around Approach
Early intervention means wrap-around support. So, we need to ask: Who has the most access to the child?
- Families
- Community partners (ECEC and schools)
- Medical practitioners Parents only know what they know. It’s about community partners educating, building awareness, and increasing visibility for families. Early intervention must start in the youngest years—birth to eight—when the brain is at its most critical stages of development. Based on this data, ECEC and early years of schooling make the most sense as the starting point.
Assessments, Wait Times, and Practical Action
I heard a lot about assessments and wait times. Here’s the reality: with or without a diagnosis, a delay is a delay. Early intervention means meeting the child where they are and building strong foundations from the roots up. While a diagnosis is helpful, the priority should be awareness, strategies, and training for the professionals closest to the child. This approach allows us to implement strategies immediately, rather than waiting for allied health access—which can take months or years. Allied health professionals are invaluable, but they do not have the same line of sight or daily connection to children that ECEC educators and teachers do.
Innovative Solutions for Accessibility
The Chair raised an important point about losing contact with the child and family nurse system. Modern lifestyles mean both parents work, and families don’t have time for traditional clinics. Children are in care earlier. Could we explore mobile teams visiting ECEC services and schools? Parents provide consent, complete a questionnaire, and children are assessed in familiar environments once a year.
Professionals working closely with the child can flag concerns. This wouldn’t need to be indefinite— just a proactive measure to address the AEDC data showing declining developmental outcomes and rising diagnoses and mental health concerns. As a Centre Director of an Early Learning Service, I would fully support this initiative and even undertake training to assist with assessments and referral pathways. In my community, we are piloting the Re-Stacking the Odds program to improve outcomes for children. While it’s in its infancy, it shows promise and demonstrates what can be achieved when we work collaboratively.
Supporting Families in Low SES Communities
While parents are the primary carers, many families in low SES areas simply don’t have the capacity. They want the best for their children, but they are hanging on by a thread—worried about their next meal, work, and mental health. These families need professionals to champion their child’s needs and advocate for support structures. I can’t speak to multicultural experiences yet, but I can speak confidently about Western cultural families based on 10 years of working in these communities. Parents are partners, but they need help navigating systems and accessing resources.
Staffing and Ratios
The Chair asked about staffing. The number of children needing extra support is increasing. What do we need?
- Safer staffing models inline with united workers safer staffing action plan
- Reduced ratios to allow educators to build strong, secure relationships with children
- Training and resources to equip educators for early intervention Reducing ratios is not just a staffing issue—it’s about quality, emotional wellbeing, and readiness to learn. Smaller groups allow educators to be more available to children, fostering connection and resilience.
In summary:
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Recognise ECEC educators as professionals and key partners in early intervention.
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Support Thriving Kids with ratio adjustments and educator training.
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Implement wrap-around systems that include families, ECEC, schools, and health professionals.
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Explore innovative solutions like mobile assessment teams in familiar environments.
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Address staffing pressures with safer ratios and targeted support. Thank you for considering these recommendations. I am committed to working collaboratively to create inclusive, thriving environments for every child.