See what we’re doing to build a high-quality and sustainable early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce.
On this page:
Have your say in the 2026 early childhood education and care (ECEC) staff survey!
If you work in ECEC, we'd like to hear about your experience in the sector. Your feedback will help improve understanding of the workforce and inform future policies and initiatives that support it. The survey is anonymous, confidential and takes less than 10 minutes to complete. The survey closes 10am AEDT 14 December 2026.
Our role
A highly skilled, well-supported and professionally recognised ECEC workforce leads to:
- improved and more equitable educational and developmental outcomes for children
- increased intergenerational social mobility
- higher female labour market participation.
We’re supporting the ECEC workforce by:
- supporting a wage increase through a worker retention payment
- working with ACECQA, state and territory governments and sector stakeholders on a 10-year strategy to ensure a sustainable, high-quality workforce
- supporting providers to offer professional development opportunities and discounted care to staff
- funding a range of other programs and initiatives.
Wage increase
We’re supporting a wage increase for the ECEC workforce through a worker retention payment.
Learn more about wages for the ECEC workforce
Workforce strategy
A 10-year National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy aims to foster a sustainable and high-quality workforce of early childhood teachers and educators.
Learn more about the National Workforce Strategy
Professional development
We’re supporting providers to offer professional development opportunities to staff.
Learn more about professional development opportunities
Discounted care
Providers can offer a discounted fee to some staff whose children attend ECEC. If eligible, the discounted care won’t affect the employee’s Child Care Subsidy (CCS) entitlement.
Learn more about discounted care
Programs and initiatives
The Australian Government funds a range of programs and initiatives that support the ECEC workforce.
For providers and services
Support a job seeker into the workforce
The Launch into Work program can help you identify and prepare job seekers with the right values and attributes for entry-level roles in early childhood.
Services with multiple entry-level vacancies can work with us to co-design and deliver a pre-employment project for job seekers.
These projects include training, work experience and mentoring to help job seekers move into sustainable employment in your business.
Learn more about the Launch into Work program
Find job seekers in your region
The Local Jobs Program focuses on upskilling, reskilling and establishing employment pathways for job seekers in 51 regions.
Employment facilitators are available to work with you to develop employment and training opportunities in your region.
Learn more about the Local Jobs Program
See a list of employment regions and facilitators
Get help hiring staff
Workforce Australia is a government employment service that supports business and industry with tailored recruitment and workforce planning. Through Workforce Australia you can:
- advertise your jobs online at no cost
- get personalised end-to-end support through a national network of providers
- access a range of complimentary support providing local, workforce and industry solutions.
Visit Workforce Australia to find out more
Wage support for apprentices and trainees
You may be eligible for financial assistance from the Australian Government to help with hiring, training and retaining an apprentice or trainee.
The Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System encourages developing trainees in priority occupations, including early childhood education and care.
Find out about the financial support available for employers
Discover available supports when hiring an Australian Apprentice
For teachers and educators
Financial help for very remote teachers
Early childhood teachers at very remote Centre Based Day Care services with Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debts may be eligible for financial assistance.
The Australian Government provides two types of assistance. We can:
- waive indexation on accumulated HELP debt
- reduce accumulated HELP debt.
Applications for indexation waivers and reduction of accumulated HELP debts are now available.
Learn more about financial assistance for very remote teachers
STEM professional development
Little Scientists supports early childhood educators with inquiry-based STEM professional development.
They do this through a range of in-person, in-service, and online professional development workshops across pedagogy-based STEM topics. This helps educators develop the skills and confidence to administer age-appropriate STEM learning.
Little Scientists is a not-for-profit initiative funded by the Australian Government since 2016. The funding is through a grant to Froebel Australia.
Learn more about Little Scientists
Let’s Count
Let's Count is an Australian Government funded early mathematics program for children aged 3 to 5. It is delivered by The Smith Family.
Let’s Count helps early childhood educators develop the maths skills of children in their care by noticing, exploring, and talking about mathematics using everyday activities.
The program is aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0. It is free for all early childhood professionals.
Mental health and wellbeing
Be You is the national mental health and wellbeing initiative for ECEC services and schools. It equips educators with knowledge and resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people from birth to 18 years.
The Be You initiative is delivered by Beyond Blue in collaboration with:
- Early Childhood Australia
- headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation.
It is free.
Be You offers:
- accredited professional learning
- online sessions and events
- fact sheets
- evidence-informed resources.
These resources can support educators to meet national, state and territory requirements relating to mental health and wellbeing.
Individual registration is open to educators who:
- work in early learning services
- are in pre-service or training.
Your service or school can register as a Be You learning community and access resources, online events and a network of consultants. This is also free.
For aspiring teachers and educators
Skill up, change up with Fee-Free TAFE
Fee-Free TAFE is a joint initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments. It provides tuition-free courses to students wanting to train, retrain or upskill.
Learn more about Fee-Free TAFE
Tertiary Access Payment
The Tertiary Access Payment is a one-off payment of up to $5,000. It’s to help eligible students with the cost of moving from regional or remote areas to study. This is for study after you’ve finished year 12 or equivalent.
Learn more about the Tertiary Access Payment
University Study Hubs
University Study Hubs help students in regional, remote and outer metropolitan areas access higher education. They are located in all states and the Northern Territory.