Embedding Early Childhood Hubs at the heart of Australia’s early childhood system

The Australian Government’s Building Early Education Fund presents an important opportunity to embed Integrated Early Childhood Hubs as a cornerstone of a place-based, integrated early childhood system.

Toy Libraries Australia supports the National Child and Family Hubs Network's briefing paper outlining five key recommendations that are required to deliver a meaningful return on investment on the Building Early Education Fund. Communities deserve government investments to give them something great as a return for time, money and effort spent. These five recommendations can improve the lives of children and families in Australia, particularly those experiencing disadvantage:

1. Prioritise investment in areas of high child need

2. Build more than childcare: invest in integrated Early Childhood Hubs for new services in areas of high child need

3. Commit to growing a sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled (ACCO) sector, including quarantining reasonable funds for ACCO services

4. Pair capital investment with ongoing funding for integration enablers and operational viability 

5. Invest in the conditions for partnership

Children and families thrive when they are supported according to their needs. An integrated hub model allows families to connect and remain connected to the services and supports they need, when they need them.  Hubs offer a proven, scalable way to deliver joined-up, holistic support beyond education alone. 

Toy libraries have an important role to play in Early Childhood Hubs. Toy libraries create a soft entry point for families to other services, support community connection, and engage parents and carers in the governance and running of the Hub. Toy libraries enable the impact of the Hub to go beyond the experiences in the centre as they take toys home to enrich the home learning environment. Existing hubs that have a toy library report that toy library membership gives children and families a sense that the hub is a safe and fun space, enabling them to become familiar with people working in the hub and giving them a sense of belonging.

By providing high-quality learning and care alongside access to wraparound services, such as toy libraries, playgroups, maternal and child health, allied health, parenting programs and social supports, Hubs help families receive the right support, when and where they need it. In welcoming, family-centred environments, Hubs also improve access to early learning, support smoother transitions to school, strengthen parenting, and foster vital community connections.

We encourage our toy library community to discuss the brief with their local members of parliament and remind them of the needs and opportunities this Building Early Education fund presents for your community.

View the Brief