Submission to the Foundational Supports Consultation

In this submission, SVA makes recommendations to the Department of Social Services on the design of Foundational Supports for children.

Foundational Supports will assist children with developmental concern, delay or disability to participate in the community, and their families and community services to support their growth and development needs. The submission highlights the need for additional supports to bridge gaps in mainstream services such as Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It stresses the importance of designing Foundational Supports in a way that does not further complicate the already fragmented landscape of systems and services for children.

SVA proposes five key recommendations:

• Integrate Foundational Supports into a single early childhood development system
• Design Foundational Supports to meet the needs of children and families facing disadvantage
• Support the use of Early Childhood Hubs to deliver Foundational Supports
• Ensure sustainable, sufficient funding for Foundational Supports to address community needs
• Implement a robust data framework to support planning, implementation, and monitoring of Foundational Supports