A multi-million-dollar initiative aimed at helping early learning centers include students with disabilities is facing criticism from families, who claim it’s excluding their kids due to cumbersome paperwork, difficulty in securing funding, and insufficient support. Providers have raised concerns about the program’s effectiveness, calling for an audit and citing a lack of transparency in how funding is being distributed.
Background
The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) is a multi-million-dollar initiative aimed at helping early learning centers include students with disabilities.
The Program’s Purpose
The ISP aims to help early learning centers remove barriers that prevent them from including students with disability. However, early childhood centers claim the program is creating more barriers than it’s removing.
Barriers Created by the Program
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Cumbersome paperwork: Early childhood centers say the paperwork required for the program is cumbersome and difficult to access, making it hard for them to secure funding.
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Difficulty in securing funding: Despite receiving between $133 and $212 million each year, many applications are being rejected, leaving families feeling frustrated and disappointed.
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Insufficient support: Some centers have decided to go their own way and employ additional educators, but this is not possible for all.
Issues with the Program
Early childhood centers claim that the program is cumbersome and difficult to access, making it hard for them to secure funding. The paperwork required for the program is reportedly time-consuming and complicated, deterring some centers from applying.
Concerns Raised by Providers
Providers have raised concerns about the program’s effectiveness, stating that it is not functional and needs to be overhauled. Public integrity expert Geoffrey Watson and Greens Senator Barbara Pocock have called for an audit of the program, citing a lack of transparency in how funding is being distributed.
Government Response
In a statement, Early Education Minister Anne Aly said that the government is committed to ensuring all children are included in early childhood education. However, she was unable to comment on the actions of previous ministers and referred to fortnightly reports from the Department on the ISP.
Recommendations for Reform
A 2023 review of the ISP commissioned by the government found administrative complexity to be a major barrier to the program’s success. The report recommended that the program’s resources be better managed to ensure it has the greatest impact. The Department of Education is considering these recommendations.
