Associate Professor Luara Ferracioli
A new research paper from the Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC) led by Associate Professor Luara Ferracioli argues that early childhood education and care (ECEC) provides the conditions for children to enjoy a flourishing childhood and should be accessible by all.
"ECEC not only enhances children's developmental capacities but also provides them with invaluable childhood experiences such as play, friendship, and exploration," Associate Professor Ferracioli said.
"The current debate about making high-quality ECEC accessible for all presents an opportunity to balance the scales so every Australian child thrives and is equally ready for school."
Childcare gives children richer experiences
While parents, extended family and community play a vital role in the upbringing of children, the paper suggests that ECEC is an opportunity to provide equal access for every child to experience a happy and thriving childhood.
"We already know that access to affordable ECEC enables women's workforce participation, improves gender parity, and benefits the economy. And we know that it helps children learn core developmental skills for success later in life," Associate Professor Ferracioli said.
"But what is often overlooked in discussions about the benefits of ECEC is that it provides the space and experiences for children to be guided by their curiosity, awe and fascination."
Associate Professor Ferracioli and her coauthors propose that these experiences are just as valuable for children learning how to practice different ways of being in the world as the core skills for physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
"ECEC gives children access to the intrinsic goods of childhood: spending quality time with friends to engage in imaginative play and share joy or fears; exploring particular interests with the expert support of educators; discovering the social and natural environment in a carefree way; and developing caring and meaningful relationships with others beyond family members," she said.
"It also allows children to extend their community and sense of connection, while enhancing their awareness of independence and self-actualisation. These are crucial aspects for children to pursue what they enjoy and develop their identity, and things that are not necessarily or always available in the home setting."
Needs of the child, not the economy
To deliver the conditions of a flourishing childhood for all, the paper argues that we need to place children's rights at the centre of the ECEC public policy debate. Other considerations such as workforce participation and economic productivity are important but should not dominate the discussion.
"ECEC policy in Australia is not universally provided and currently prioritises the social and economic benefits for adults, rather than the benefits for children," Ferracioli said.
"We need to shift our thinking that childhood is just a steppingstone on the pathway to adulthood - children are individuals with their own needs, and our policies for them need to reflect that.
"Both state and federal governments have a responsibility to deliver high-quality early childhood education and care to all children, including children from low-income families, from culturally diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with disability and those living in rural and remote areas."
Removing barriers related to affordability, accessibility, and availability is critical to achieving universal ECEC and making it the foundation of Australia's education system.
"Policymakers need to ensure that families and caregivers are supported to make informed choices about their child's education and care. As a society, we need to better understand the huge role ECEC plays in allowing our children to have richer experiences and enjoy childhood."
DECLARATION
This work was supported by SSSHARC the Australian Research Council (DE220100387).
Hero photo: Adobe Stock
