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Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT

Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT is our 10-year plan for early childhood education and care.

Summary

We’re committed to giving every child a fair start to life. The Set up for Success strategy will help us make sure early childhood education is:

  • high-quality, accessible and affordable
  • connected with other education, community and health services
  • able to meet every child’s needs.

We developed the plan based on national and international evidence about the importance of quality early childhood education.

Read the strategy

Read related strategies

Developing the strategy

To develop Set up for Success, we worked with:

  • children
  • families
  • the early childhood education and care profession
  • the early childhood sector
  • peak bodies
  • community organisations
  • the Early Childhood Advisory Council.

Find out what we heard in the Early Childhood Strategy Consultation Report.

Read the consultation report

Phase 1 implementation plan

The Set up for Success Phase 1 Implementation Plan outlines the Phase 1 initiatives under each of the strategy’s 4 foundations.

It highlights how the initiatives link to research evidence, partnerships and long-term outcomes.

We held a consultation process in 2022 to seek input from the ECEC sector, families, educators, the wider community and across government. We captured what we heard in the consultation on key initiatives under Phase 1 Final Report.

The Phase 1 Evaluation Report evaluates the implementation of the strategy from January 2020 to December 2022.

Read the Phase 1 implementation plan and reports

Phase 2 implementation plan

The Set up for Success Phase 2 Implementation Plan outlines the Phase 2 initiatives under each of the strategy’s 4 foundations.

It builds on the actions outlined in the Phase 1 Implementation Plan and the findings of the Phase 1 Evaluation Report.

The Phase 2 Evaluation Report evaluates the implementation of the strategy from January 2023 to December 2025.

Read the Phase 2 implementation plan and reports

Phase 3 Consultation

We have opened consultation to guide development of the Phase 3 Implementation Plan.

The ECEC sector, providers, educators, families and the wider community are invited to provide input on the following topics:

  • Phase Three of Set up for Success
  • Expansion of Three-year-old preschool
  • Child Safety and Quality
  • Provider Models and Service Sustainability.

The consultation process has been designed to allow stakeholders to engage with the topics in ways that suit them.

This Consultation Paper [PDF 902 KB] provides an overview of the key topics we are seeking insights and feedback on and includes key questions to guide responses. You can choose to respond to the topics and questions that interest you.

Once you have read the paper, your feedback options include:

Consultation will close on Friday 26 June 2026.

For more information about the consultation process contact the Early Childhood Policy team by email to earlychildhoodpolicy@act.gov.au

Implementing the initiatives

Find out how we are implementing the Set up for Success initiatives.