AEDC: More targeted support needed for children in the pre-school years

Children living in Australia’s most disadvantaged communities remain much more likely to be developmentally vulnerable than their more advantaged peers and this is a major cause for concern, says children’s education charity The Smith Family.

Data in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) National Report has revealed a gap of 10 per cent or more between the proportion of children living in the most disadvantaged communities and those living in the least disadvantaged communities who are on track, across all areas measured.

The Smith Family’s CEO, Dr Lisa O’Brien, said: “A significant proportion of children are continuing to start school behind in one or more key areas of their development, with around 63,000 children vulnerable in at least one area.

"The likely impact for these children is they are already behind their peers when they start their first year of school,” Dr O’Brien said. “As each year goes by, the gap between them and their classmates will widen.

"While there has been pleasing progress in the language and cognitive (school-based) area, including among children from the most disadvantaged communities and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children generally, there is a considerable way to go if all children are to start school on track.

"Research shows how critical parents and the home environment are to children’s development. Parental engagement in children’s learning for example, is a bigger predictor of how children do at school than their family’s socio-economic status. Targeting support to those families and communities who most need it is key.

"Equipping parents with the skills, knowledge, confidence and resources to positively engage in their children’s development, will in turn help children build their skills and confidence, before they start school. This approach can make a critical difference to children’s longer-term educational outcomes and wellbeing.

"There is a need to fund programs that have already proven effective in supporting children’s development, like The Smith Family’s Let’s Count program which supports the development of children’s maths skills before they get to school, through helping parents to participate in their child’s learning.

"The Smith Family is delighted that Let’s Count will reach more disadvantaged children and their families following a recent $4 million funding commitment from the Federal Government.”

Dr O’Brien said she welcomed the release of the AEDC National Report which is an excellent resource for everyone interested in the wellbeing of Australia’s children and how improvements can be made. This includes families, governments, non-government organisations, services supporting families, local communities, business and philanthropists.

"The Smith Family congratulates all stakeholders who have been involved in the AEDC. This work not only pinpoints where the needs are, it also highlights where we can best work with children to address their specific developmental needs, community by community and from an early age,” Dr O’Brien said.