“That ICPA QLD lobbies the Minister for Education and The Arts and Early Childhood providers to deliver regular and reliable, quality early childhood programs for highly vulnerable and remote locations.”
Cunnamulla is a remote and rural community in southwest Queensland. This community has continued to struggle to achieve high quality early childhood programs for over 15 years despite the efforts from supportive groups and organisations.
Our community has seen small and short investments into the early childhood space that has provided no reliable or regular programs that address the needs of the community.
The RAFS (Remote Area Families Service) has been unable to provide regular early childhood programs across 2025 and 2026. RAFS have over the years made some efforts to provide regular playgroups for isolated children and families in our areas but more recently this has been extremely sporadic.
The first Five Forever program that was run at the Cunnamulla Library for families has recommenced its program in late 2025 after key staff changes meant that regular and reliable programs were not offered.
The Gidgee Kids Daycare centre in Cunnamulla has noted some improvements in staffing and the organisation of children’s rooms, however, continues to fight for appropriately trained staff, as current operations limit the spaces available to families. This is impacting not just children’s early childhood experiences but the ability for families to enter the local workforce. This in turn creates a decline in the community’s population, with families leaving town to access care for their children and limiting families from moving into the local area. Recently a key staff member who has made a huge contribution to the Kindergarten program in the last 12 months has not had her contract renewed, leaving the space for unqualified staff to have to fill, a decision that makes no sense to the local families and communities.
Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health provides ongoing health services weekly to families with the support of Bush Kids, through a well-attended playgroup.
The Kath Dickson Toy Bus has been a welcomed service to the local community, whilst they are supporting families in accessing educational toys and resources, this too many is just a band aide as families attempt to fill the gaps between unreliable programs.
The KEYS (Keeping Early Years in the Spotlight), an initiative by the Schools Plus Program was unable to continue its goals with the loss of key personal and the dramatic impacts of COVID. They KEYS group felt unsupported by the local early childhood and education and care office, with promises of support and extremely limited intervention in the community after 2021.
It is clearly demonstrated in the AEDC Data the impact that the KEYS program had on the community between 2018 and 2021. In 2021 the percentage of children developmentally vulnerable in one or more of the AEDC domains was 47.6% decreasing from 57.7% in 2018, only for it to return to a staggering 64.3% in 2024. The Paroo shire AEDC data has shown a staggering increase from 2009 – 2024 in children’s vulnerability, with the exception of a small but positive impact in 2021.
Our community in 2021 had the highest birth rate per capita in the country yet we have no consistent or sustainable early childhood programs. These children and families have already started school or are soon to be commencing their transition to school having been unable to access quality programs that prepare children and families for formal education.
Our community needs regular and reliable programs where early childhood and families are at the forefront of their organisations mission. Organisation and programs that are currently servicing the local community need extensive support to address the significant needs of children and families clearly articulated in the 2024 AEDC data, to ensure that early childhood access is achievable whilst being consistent to allow children a great start to education.
