A National Early Education and Care Commission for Australia
Families should be able to trust that Australia’s early education and care system is safe, accessible and designed around childrens’ needs.
Yet responsibility is divided across governments, regulators and providers, and no single body is accountable for how the whole system performs.
Thrive by Five and its partners are calling for a strong, independent National Early Education and Care Commission to provide long-term stewardship, national intelligence, coordination and public accountability.
Explore the case for a Commission, how it should be designed, what it should do and what it could make possible for children and families.
A system built around children and families
The Commission should be co-designed as a national institution that strengthens shared decision-making and applies accountability across jurisdictions.
The Commission would not replace existing regulators or oversee individual services. Regulators would continue to uphold standards and monitor service-level compliance. The Commission would focus on how the system performs, helping governments identify gaps, anticipate risks and coordinate reform.
The Commission’s legitimacy will depend on who helps shape it and whose experience informs its decisions.
First Nations governance and shared decision-making should be embedded from the outset, working through existing Aboriginal leadership and partnership structures. Families, educators, regional and remote communities, culturally diverse communities and people with disability must also have meaningful, ongoing ways to shape the system.
FAQs
What would a National Early Education and Care Commission do and why is it needed? Explore answers to these and other common questions about the proposal.
Explore the resources & evidence
Australia is already making significant investments and reforms in early childhood development, education and care. That creates a real opportunity to improve outcomes, but it also makes stronger national stewardship more important.
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Join our community for updates on the campaign for a National Early Education and Care Commission, new evidence and ways to help build a better system for children and families.
Principles for its design
The Commission should be:
Independent
Expert-led, with strong governance to ensure objectivity, trust and sector confidence led with strong governance to ensure objectivity, trust and sector confidence.
National and inclusive
Structured, transparent engagement with families, workforce, providers and governments to ensure reforms are practical and implementable.
Evidence driven
Grounded in robust data, cost modelling, workforce projections and international best practice driven.
Implementation ready
Clear sequencing, transition pathways and risk management—especially for thin markets and workforce supply ready.
Fiscally responsible
Full costings, efficiency analysis and long-term sustainability to support disciplined public investment.
Transparent and accountable
Clear documentation of assumptions, consultation input and performance measures to build public trust.
Bold but deliverable
Focused on solving structural problems, not rediagnosing them—ambitious reforms with a clear path to delivery.
A clear centre of responsibility
Without a National Commission, Australia will continue asking a fragmented system to solve national problems.
With one, governments, the sector, families and communities can work from a shared picture, make better decisions and build an early childhood development, education and care system designed around the people it exists to serve.
The Commission’s remit can begin with a whole-of-system strategy, a stronger response to safety concerns, national intelligence and public accountability.
As capability develops, it could play a stronger role in service planning, workforce coordination, identifying persistent gaps and supporting governments to address market failures and improve access.
Universal access fairly delivered
Affordable, available, inclusive ECEC for all children, with targeted action for underserved communities.
Safe by design
Regulation and assurance systems that actively safeguard children, not just monitor compliance.
High quality education and care
A strengthened quality framework focused on what matters most for children’s learning and development quality education and care.
A valued, capable workforce
Workforce planning, pay, conditions and professional capability embedded at the heart of system design.
Active public stewardship
A shift from market led settings to government shaping supply, setting expectations and coordinating actors—while supporting a high-quality, mixed provider system.
Outcomes focused performance
Success measured by children’s outcomes, equity of access and service sustainability, not compliance activity alone focused performance.
National coordination, shared accountability
Strong Commonwealth–state alignment through a renewed, outcome focused national partnership agreement.
Clear system boundaries
A well-defined ECEC system, with intentional links to the broader early childhood development ecosystem defined ECEC system, with intentional links to the broader early childhood development ecosystem.
Independent oversight and transparency
Independent advice, public reporting and accountability mechanisms to build confidence and sustain reform.
Build a system that works as a whole
Australia has many organisations responsible for parts of early education and care, but no single body responsible for making the whole system work.
A strong, independent Commission would provide the stewardship, evidence and accountability needed to sustain reform across changing governments and priorities.
Now is the opportunity to establish an enduring national institution designed with families, communities, the sector and governments to build a safer, fairer and more accessible system.
Support a strong national commission
Read the evidence for a National Commission.
Decision-makers
Decision-makers: Support a credible process to establish and co-design the Commission.
Families
Share your experience of Australia’s early years system
