Indigenous children and their families have a unique culture and the Australian Government is committed to improving access to integrated, inclusive services that are relevant to their lives. We know there are significant differences in life experiences and outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Closing these gaps is a priority for the Australian Government.

International research indicates that investment in early childhood, particularly for disadvantaged children, can yield substantial benefits in the longer term through reduced expenditure on welfare, law and order and health, and increased participation and productivity.

However, information surrounding the use of early childhood services tells us that Indigenous children and their families are less likely to access them because of service unavailability in some locations, service delivery fragmentation or an absence of cultural awareness and competence in services they could otherwise access.

The Council of Australian Governments has agreed to a number of targets to improve outcomes for Indigenous people, especially children. The targets that relate to early childhood development are:

• halving the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five within a decade
• ensuring all Indigenous four years olds in remote communities have access to early childhood education within five years
• every child will have access to a preschool program in the 12 months prior to full-time schooling by 2013
• halving the gap for Indigenous students in reading, writing and numeracy within a decade.

The Australian Government provides funding for a range of early childhood initiatives to assist Indigenous families and give their children a good start in life.

This web site contains information about key initiatives and services for Indigenous children and their families.