The Inclusion Support Program helps early childhood education and care (ECEC) services address barriers to inclusion. It helps children with additional needs participate in ECEC through tailored support and funding to services.
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In the 2024–25 Budget the Australian Government committed to more support for children with additional needs. Read our announcement to find out more.
About the program
The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) supports ECEC services to improve their inclusive practices. It does this through tailored support and funding to ECEC services who need it.
ISP supports services to:
- address barriers to inclusion
- build capacity and capability to include children with additional needs
- implement quality, inclusive and equitable practices.
The program aims to:
- provide children with additional needs the opportunity to learn and develop next to their typically developing peers
- ensure all children have genuine opportunities to access, participate and achieve positive learning outcomes.
We fund ISP, which is a national program. Inclusion Agencies in each state and territory deliver the program. To do this, they work with a national Inclusion Development Fund Manager.
All ECEC services must be inclusive
We have information and resources to help you embed inclusion at your service. We encourage you to explore these resources before engaging with ISP.
Support options
The program offers 3 categories of support:
- professional support
- specialist equipment
- funding.
Professional support
Inclusion Agencies in each state and territory provide free advice and support to services.
They work with services to identify and address barriers to inclusion.
Learn more about Inclusion Agencies
Specialist equipment
Each Inclusion Agency manages a Specialist Equipment Library. These libraries provide services with access to free equipment and resources to address barriers to inclusion.
The libraries include equipment like:
- portable ramps
- standing frames
- specialised furniture
- hoists, slings and harnesses
- seating or posture aids.
Services access the Specialist Equipment Library through their Inclusion Agency.
Learn about accessing your local Specialist Equipment Library
Funding
The Inclusion Development Fund is for when professional support or specialist equipment cannot address barriers.
There are 4 categories of funding, for:
- innovative solutions
- immediate or time-limited support
- Family Day Care
- additional educators.
The national Inclusion Development Fund Manager oversees funding. Services must be endorsed by their Inclusion Agency to apply for funding.
Learn more about the Inclusion Development Fund
See a list of services that have approved inclusion support cases
Eligibility
The program is open to Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved services that provide:
- Centre Based Day Care
- Family Day Care, or
- Outside School Hours Care.
In Home Care services are not eligible. Funding may be available to support children to transition from In Home Care to another care type.
Children accessing ISP support must meet CCS eligibility requirements.
Accessing support
Services must contact the Inclusion Agency in their state or territory to access ISP support.
Families who think the program may benefit their child should talk to their ECEC service.
Find contact details for your local Inclusion Agency
Program review
In March 2023, we commissioned independent consultants to review ISP. The review set out to:
- examine the access to, affordability of, and quality of ISP services
- examine the program's performance against effectiveness, efficiency and strategic policy alignment criteria
- provide evidence-based findings to inform consideration of accessibility, future investment and policy settings.
The review’s final report was released in November 2023. The report:
- detailed 21 findings
- identified 21 short and medium-term opportunities to strengthen the program
- recommended 5 longer-term opportunities to embed inclusion in the sector.
Learn more about the Inclusion Support Program review
Resources
Guidelines
The ISP guidelines have more information about the program.
Read the Inclusion Support Program guidelines
Inclusion Support Portal
The Inclusion Support Portal is an online platform where services interact with the program. We have resources to help services navigate the portal.
Learn more about the Inclusion Support Portal
Forms
Use the permission to share personal information form to gain consent to share a child’s personal information to access accessing support.