Research released in late May this year reveals that multicultural children in Australia are missing out on early childhood education and early intervention programs. This results in them being more likely to be developmentally vulnerable when starting school, with impacts on their school learning and repercussions in later life.
The research was a joint endeavour conducted by non-profit Settlement Services International (SSI) and researchers at Education Futures, University of South Australia (UniSA).
As well as identifying important deficits, the Stronger Starts, Brighter Futures II report also examined the impact they have on their school learning and repercussions in later life.
The findings show that children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia are accessing early childhood education at lower rates than their peers and are also more likely than other children to miss out on critical early intervention for children with developmental concerns.
Looking for a safer future
This has been the reality for ‘Leila’, a mother of three young children, who fled Afghanistan almost a decade ago to secure a safer future for her family in Australia.
Leila spent years struggling to access early childhood education and the occupational therapy her children needed, all of whom are on the autism spectrum.
“Without a licence, transportation was hard for me, and completing paperwork was impossible due to my language barrier,” she says.
“When my daughter finally started attending [early education], she cried hysterically every day. I was so worried because I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t speak enough English to ask the staff what was happening. The centre wouldn’t provide an interpreter – I felt helpless. I had to withdraw her.
“My oldest child was struggling when she started school without any therapist support, and it was so hard for her. She feels very isolated, and it was heartbreaking to see her like this.”
Since connecting with SSI’s delivery of Community Hubs Australia in Queensland, the family has now been supported for three years.
The Hubs have helped get her children diagnosed and connected with culturally responsive therapists that also speak Leila’s language. They have also facilitated access to kindergarten, social classes, supported playgroups, and schools.
Creating culturally responsive early childhood education
SSI’s General Manager of Newcomers, Settlement and Integration, Yamamah Agha, says children from migrant and refugee backgrounds need to be able to access culturally responsive early childhood education and early intervention support tailored to their needs.
“The higher rates of developmental vulnerability among multicultural children in the early years risks perpetuating a cycle where those who start school behind, often stay behind with significant impacts for the rest of their lives.”
Professor Sally Brinkman from UniSA believes mapping out the engagement of CALD children in early childhood learning is increasingly important as our nation becomes more culturally diverse.
“Participation in early childhood education is a powerful investment. It doesn’t just benefit the children and their families, but it also creates a chain reaction bringing real and important advantages to Australia’s economy and society.”
Overall, the analysis of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) found that 82 per cent of children with culturally diverse backgrounds attended some form of early childhood education in 2021, compared to 90 per cent of other children. It’s a gap that is seen across national cohorts of the AEDC from 2009 to 2021.
The AEDC analysis also found that children from CALD backgrounds:
- are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable at school entry than other children, though this gap has been narrowing over time.
- are half as likely to access early intervention support (i.e., speech therapy, occupational therapy, or disability support) compared to other children.
- are an increasing proportion of children enrolled in their first year of school, reaching nearly 26 per cent in 2021, up from 17 per cent in 2009.
The research points to ways to improve attendance of children from CALD backgrounds in early childhood education through a mix of universal, targeted, and place-based to address non-financial barriers to participation in early learning. These approaches involve governments, policy makers, early education providers and providers of settlement services.
* Some personal details changed to protect identity.
