Across Australia, small and medium-sized early learning centres have always been there. Independent-operators opened their doors because they care about children, about educators, and about the neighbourhoods they serve.
Today, 79% of government-approved early learning service providers operate just a single service. Many of these are small businesses. Real people. Real commitment.
Independent, locally-owned early learning services play a vital role in Australia’s early childhood education and care sector. They support children and families, employ local educators and contribute to the social and economic fabric of the communities they operate in.
Many have spent years - and in some cases generations - building trusted relationships with families, educators and local communities. They are deeply embedded in their neighbourhoods, connected with local schools and businesses, and understand the children, families and communities around them.
Yet too often, policy and funding frameworks treat independently operated centres as part of a homogenised sector.
The difference matters. Local centres operate differently. They think differently. And care differently.
Proudly Independent, Proudly Local is a campaign to change the conversation. We want policymakers, media, and families to understand what makes locally-owned providers special, and why they deserve to be seen, valued and protected.
Because when a local early learning centre closes, it's not just a business lost. It's a piece of the community gone.
Sign up for campaign news, stories from locally owned early learning services, and opportunities to help champion the vital role of independent, locally-owned early learning services in Australian communities.
Read the report and tailored fact sheets to learn more about the vital role of independent, locally owned early learning services.
You can download and share these digital resources to show your support for independent, locally owned early learning services.
We want to showcase the different ways that locally-owned, independent services go above and beyond to understand and support the unique needs of the families they serve, while building strong connections with their wider communities.
Whether you work closely with local community services, participate in community programs or make use of local facilities, we’d love to hear how your service makes a difference.
Share your story with us and your experience could be featured as part of our Proudly Independent, Proudly Local campaign.
It is with excitement and pride that ACA proudly launches the Proudly Independent, Proudly Local campaign.
We celebrate smaller and medium-sized owner/operators and our diverse ECEC sector, recognising their value, community connectedness, and contribution to their local economy.
With appropriate policies and financial frameworks in place, ones that recognise the diverse nature of service provider types across Australia, we can ensure that every child in Australia has access to high-quality, affordable and sustainable early learning services, providing the best start in life.
It is with excitement and pride that ACA proudly launches the Proudly Independent, Proudly Local campaign.
We celebrate smaller and medium-sized owner/operators and our diverse ECEC sector, recognising their value, community connectedness, and contribution to their local economy.
With appropriate policies and financial frameworks in place, ones that recognise the diverse nature of service provider types across Australia, we can ensure that every child in Australia has access to high-quality, affordable and sustainable early learning services, providing the best start in life.