Sign the Open letter to the QLD State Parliament.

An open letter to the Queensland State Parliament,

Children in Queensland need you to act now to set them up to Thrive by Five.  

When families do well, children do well. The importance of the early years on brain, social and emotional development and education and employment outcomes has been confirmed by evidence and research.

Children and families need a range of support in their child’s earliest years, and all children deserve access to quality, inclusive and appropriate early years services, experiences and environments. No family should miss out on the support they need to enable their children to thrive.

That is why we, an alliance representing the breadth of early childhood development, are launching a campaign today to call on all parties to deliver an Early Years Plan ahead of the state election, to ensure all children in Queensland have the opportunity to thrive.

The Queensland Early Years Plan would address long-term systemic issues as well as short-term measures, and would ensure:

1. Universal access to kindergarten for all children aged three and four;
2. A holistic early childhood system that supports child developmental outcomes from birth to school;
3. A workforce strategy to attract and retain the best teachers, educators and experts in Queensland;
4. Nationally consistent implementation of the National Quality Framework to ensure high quality services;
5. Local solutions that are connected to communities; and
6. Strong, sector-supported advocacy at National Cabinet.

Signed by:

• Act for Kids
• Australian Institute of Play
• BUSHkids
• C&K
• Childcare Leadership Alliance
• Dr Sally Staton
• Early Childhood Australia
• Goodstart Early Learning
• Independent Education Union
• Lady Gowrie QLD
• Life Without Barriers
• Logan Together
• Micah Projects
• Thrive by Five
• Multicultural Australia
• PeakCare Queensland Inc
• Play Matters
• Professor Karen Thorpe
• Queensland Community Alliance
• Queensland Council of Unions
• Queensland Teachers Union
• Royal Far West
• The Social Policy Group
• Social Ventures Australia
• SSI
• The Parenthood
• Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership
• Unify Intercultural Australia
• Toy Libraries Australia
• United Workers Union
• Uniting Early Learning
• Welcoming Australia
• Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation