That ICPA (Aust) advocate to the relevant Minister to establish funding to deliver mobile early learning programs to geographically isolated children, aged 0-5 year, who are currently without access to any such service because of where they live.
The Australian Government’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) highlights the importance of early childhood education in shaping lifelong learning outcomes. It aims to “extend and enrich children's learning from birth to five years and through the transition to school,” ensuring that “all children experience learning that is engaging and builds success for life” (Department of Education, 2023).
Despite this national commitment, many geographically isolated children aged 0–5 years in Central Australia continue to miss out on access to any early childhood learning opportunities due to where they live. While the Katherine Isolated Children’s Service (KICS) provides federally funded mobile playgroups to children in the Top End of the Northern Territory—including communities like Mataranka, Timber Creek, and Elliott—these services do not extend to Central Australia.
According to the 2021 Census, there are approximately 16,224 children aged 0–4 in the Northern Territory. While population density is significantly lower in Central Australia, many children are spread across vast remote areas without access to preschools, early learning centres, or supported playgroups. This creates a substantial equity gap in early childhood education.
Early education is not solely about preparing for school. It plays a critical role in a child's emotional, social, and cognitive development. It helps children build confidence, learn to interact with others, and develop foundational skills that support future learning and wellbeing. Additionally, mobile playgroups offer crucial opportunities for parental engagement, particularly for caregivers in isolated areas who may experience limited social contact. These services help parents connect, share experiences, and access guidance, which strengthens parenting capacity and community wellbeing.
This long-standing service gap represents not just an educational issue but a broader health and equity concern. By investing in mobile remote playgroups for Central Australian families, the federal government would be fulfilling its obligation under the EYLF to ensure all children—regardless of geographic location—can access meaningful early learning experiences.
For these reasons, we propose that ICPA (Aust) lobbies the relevant Minister to establish targeted funding for mobile remote playgroups for children aged 0–5 in Central Australia who are currently without access to such services.
Geographically isolated families that reside outside of the "remote community footprint" have been without access to any early learning childhood services prior to preschool for more than a decade as has many remote communities in our region. Early education is a vital tool in all children’s development, along with being a foundation for learning, it’s how they build confidence, interact with others, and learn important social and emotional skills. It’s also an opportunity for parents to come together, share stories and support one another.
Case study 1:
As a mum of two geographically isolated children Kiya knows firsthand the importance of having these services available to all families, no matter where they choose to live. In Kiya’s circumstance her sense of what was ‘normal’ became misguided as they weren’t exposed to other children regularly. It wasn’t until their daughter was 6 months old that they noticed she had some challenges with her feet. Had they been able to interact with other children of a similar age they may have become aware she was behind in her development sooner and accessed early intervention treatment earlier.
The Commonwealth-funded Families as First Teachers (FaFT) program is currently under review. Initially, FaFT was delivered in Central Australia as a mobile service, supporting all children under the age of five and providing remote families—both Indigenous and non-Indigenous—with the opportunity to participate. This flexible, inclusive model was designed to meet the diverse needs of families living in geographically isolated areas, covering over 30 sites across the region. The program employed five educators and numerous local stakeholders, allowing for a collaborative approach to supporting families as their needs arose.
In several instances, these services began to make a tangible impact, improving outcomes for children and families. However, as these programs gained momentum and built strong community engagement, funding was withdrawn, resulting in the discontinuation of key services. This stop-start approach has proved discouraging for families, disrupting progress and undermining trust in the stability of essential early childhood services.
As a result of funding cuts, FaFT now relies heavily on government schools to deliver the program, with a particular focus on Indigenous communities and families. While this school-based model continues to provide valuable support, it has significantly limited access for families in remote areas who are either not within proximity to these sites or do not meet the program’s eligibility criteria.
Currently, Central Australia offers eight FaFT programs, with three located in Alice Springs:
• Larrapinta – Alice Springs
• Sadadeen – Alice Springs
• Gillen – Alice Springs
• Ntaria (Hermannsburg)
• Papunya (240 km northwest)
• Yuendumu (293 km northwest)
• Harts Range (220 km northeast)
• Kintore (530 km west)
While FaFT offers many benefits, it is not reaching its full potential for geographically isolated children aged 0–5 due to the limitations of the current delivery model.
