Office for Early Childhood Development Act 2024

The primary function of the Office is to act as a steward of the

State's early childhood development system, and in particular to reduce the proportion of children in the State who are developmentally vulnerable when starting school.

The Office also has the following additional functions:

to facilitate, commission and support research relating to early childhood development;

to support and facilitate the development of systems, policies and processes for the secure sharing of data across the early childhood development system;

to support the universal reach of child health and development checks;

to drive a vision of place‑based, responsive and connected service delivery, building early childhood education and care as the backbone of a universal early childhood development system;

to drive universal access to 3 and 4 year old preschool, developing and implementing funding models and connecting preschool providers to the broader early childhood development system;

to develop, implement and fund fit‑for‑purpose infrastructure and targeted programs and services, including commissioning integrated service hubs, to support the early childhood development of children at increased risk of developmental vulnerability;

to align supports and services with the needs of children by partnering with families, State authorities, non‑government organisations and local and Commonwealth governments;

to provide overall strategic direction in relation to government early childhood development services;

to commission or recommission government services, as required;

to drive the recognition of the cultural and linguistic diversity of children accessing services within the early childhood development system;

to drive the participation of children with disability in the early childhood development system;

to drive the participation of children in care, children who are in contact with the child protection system and children who are receiving child and family support services in the early childhood development system;

to undertake strategic workforce planning to support early childhood reforms and service provision;

any other functions conferred on the Office by or under this or any other Act or by the Minister.

In performing its functions under this Act, the Office will consider the views of children and their families.

In performing its functions under this Act, the Office will have regard, and seek to give effect, to the UN

Convention on the Rights of the Child and any other relevant international human rights instruments affecting children.