The lifelong benefits of Early Childhood Education and Care

Did you know?

More than 44 per cent of NSW children are not developmentally on track when they start school, according to the latest Australian Early Development Census, an Australian government initiative that measures how children have developed by the time they start school.

The census looks at five key areas of early childhood development: physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, and communication skills and general knowledge.

Language and cognitive skills saw the most significant shift in the most recent report, with the percentage of children who were ‘developmentally vulnerable’ in this area increasing from 6.6 per cent in 2018 to 7.3 per cent in 2021.

Not being developmentally on track can have significant and lifelong consequences for a child.

Why Early Childhood Education and Care Matters

The early years of a child’s life are critical for their cognitive, social, and emotional development. This period is marked by rapid brain development, where the foundations for future learning, health and wellbeing are established.

Research has shown that participation in high-quality early education and care leads to better outcomes at school and later in life.

“The first five years of a child’s life are vital for their health, development, learning and wellbeing. Children who participate in quality early childhood education and care, and who get the right support services, such as health and development checks, are more likely to succeed at school and have improved lifelong educational, social and economic outcomes.”
Reference: ‘Putting a Value on Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia’

In the report ‘Work and Play: Understanding how Australian Families Experience Early Childhood Education and Care‘, 83% of parents said that educators and carers have a significant impact on young children’s learning and wellbeing.

“Parents clearly see the early childhood education and care sector’s value in providing an environment of support and growth and setting children up for success at school and beyond, with this belief strengthening as their children approach school age,” states the report.

Preschool options for your child

The two most popular options for preschool are Community Preschool, or a preschool program within an Early Childhood Education & Care (ECEC) service. ECEC services are often referred to as daycare/childcare centres but these are outdated terms that can cause confusion about what the services actually offer.

Similarities between Community Preschool and ECEC Services:

University and tertiary qualified educators – with the same minimum standards set by the government for teacher qualifications and educator/child ratios.

Deliver a curriculum based on the national Early Years Learning Framework.

Allow families to access government fee support.

Are regulated under the National Quality Framework, Australia’s system for regulating early learning and school age care.

Differences between Community Preschool and ECEC Services:

Opening hours

Community preschools usually operate on school hours (9-3pm) and school terms/holidays, meaning they are open approximately 41 weeks per year. This may be challenging for working families. Generally, due to the more structured nature of the program, families will have less flexibility and choice regarding which days their child can attend the service.

ECEC services are open longer hours to suit working families (approx 10-11hrs per day) and operate during school holidays. Most services only close briefly over the Christmas/New Year period, meaning they are open 50-51 weeks per year. ECEC services generally provide more flexibility around the availability and choice of days the family would like to attend.

Hours of school preparation

With the shorter daily hours and only 41 weeks per year of care, community preschools offer around 750 hours of preparation prior to starting school.

By comparison, a preschooler in an ECEC service will have accessed approximately 1500 hours of preparation prior to starting school – double that of a community preschool.

Convenience

A community preschool is only open to children aged 3-6 years. Families are generally required to provide morning tea, lunch, sheets for rest time, etc.

Most ECEC services cater for children from infants up to 6 years, meaning families can access care for younger siblings in the same location. Services are generally all-inclusive, with nutritious snacks and meals provided by the service.

Early Education and Care benefits the whole family

Parents identify that the benefits of early childhood education and care accrues beyond the child to the whole family, and extend beyond the monetary benefit of income earned while young children are in education and care.

According to the report, ‘Counting the Cost to Families: Accessing Childcare Affordability in Australia; The Front Project’.: “77 per cent of parents surveyed agreed that access to early childhood education and care services is important for the mental health and wellbeing of the whole family.”

The Explore & Develop difference:

One of the benefits of choosing an Explore & Develop service is that they are independently owned and operated, with the owner onsite to oversee daily operations.

While every Explore & Develop service is tailored to the needs of its local community, they have the following important features in common:

Educational play-based programs that support each child’s physical, social, emotional, personal, spiritual, cognitive and linguistic aspects of learning
Children are supported in their social and emotional development – making friends, learning to share, co-operating, taking turns, building resilience, being independent and developing empathy for others.
Children develop confidence and self-esteem through a sense of belonging to their service and their peer group.
Beyond the classroom programs are offered, with a focus on connecting children with nature, sustainability practices and engaging with their local community.
Partnerships are offered for families to be involved and connect with other families.
High-quality, caring and qualified Educators and Early Childhood Teachers who have access to ongoing professional development programs designed to equip them with the knowledge and inspiration required to provide high-quality services.

Find an Explore & Develop service near you.

References