More funding for the National Early Childhood Worker Register
The 2026–27 Budget includes $17.6 million funding to enhance and expand the National Early Childhood Worker Register.
The Register helps keep children safe by ensuring only qualified and checked staff work in the sector.
All approved providers must enter who is working in their services and update the Register within 14 days of any change. This is a mandatory requirement under the National Law.
The additional investment for the Register will support enhancements, including:
- identity verification
- integration with the Family Day Care register
- other system improvements.
Read a factsheet to learn more.
Support for children with additional needs
The 2026–27 Budget includes $54.8 million funding towards the Inclusion Support Program (ISP).
While all early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers are inclusive, some services need extra support. ISP funding will help ECEC services support children with additional needs, as demand for the program continues to grow.
In 2024–25, the ISP supported more than 26,000 children by helping services address barriers to participation.
This new funding is in addition to the $59.2 million funding provided in 2025–26, bringing total supplementary funding for the Inclusion Development Fund subsidy in 2026–27 to $114 million.
Read a factsheet to learn more.
Learn more about the Inclusion Support Program on our website.
A national Commission for early education and care
The Australian Government will work with states and territories to consider the potential development of a national early education and care Commission.
Establishing a Commission was a recommendation of the Productivity Commission in its 2024 inquiry report outlining a path to universal early childhood education and care (ECEC).
If established, a Commission is the next possible step to strengthen the ECEC system, and it could:
have a role in ensuring services are located where families need them
also involve reforming the existing Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).
Further details about the Commission will be discussed at the next Education Ministers Meeting in July.