Early Learning for Three Year Olds initiative

• Universal Early Learning for Three Year Olds – Co-Design Planning Group (PDF, 650KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – Feb 2023 (PDF, 465KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – April 2023 (PDF, 465KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – July 2023 (PDF, 485KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – Oct 2023 (PDF, 465KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – November 2023 (PDF, 146KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – February 2024 (PDF, 126KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – April 2024 (PDF, 128 KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – June 2024 (PDF, 128 KB)
• Early Learning for Three Year Olds – August 2024 (PDF, 115 KB)

The first ECEC Roundtable for the Early Learning for Three Year Olds initiative (EL3) was held on 14 December 2023.

The second ECEC Roundtable for the Early Learning for Three Year Olds initiative (EL3) was held on 1 July 2024 in Campbell Town. Thank you to Ernst & Young for facilitating this Roundtable.

Presentation notes and summaries are provided below; :

• ECEC Roundtable Presentation 1 July 2024 – Presentation PPT Slides (PDF, 3.08MB)
• EL3 ECEC Roundtable 14 December 2023 – Presentation PPT Slides (PDF, 1.35 MB)
• EL3 ECEC Roundtable – Summary of Discussion Questions and Feedback (14 December 2023) (PDF, 227kB)

Development and implementation of the EL3 initiative is guided by the phases of a co-design process:

• Phase 1 – Start up and engage, define and discover 2023
• Phase 2 – Gather, explore and connect 2023
• Phase 3 – Understand, imagine and create 2023/24
• Phase 4 – Test, evaluate, refine and review 2025/26

A Co-Design Planning Group, with ECEC, Independent, and Catholic sector representatives provided advice and guidance throughout Phases 1-3.

In September 2023, the Co-Design Planning Group was re-convened as the EL3 Advisory Group to provide advice and guidance for Phase 4 of the project.

In September and October 2023, Local Enabling Groups (LEGs) were established in each of the trial site communities where ECEC services, families and community representatives have worked together on the design of potential service models to test in communities.

Broad community engagement continues including 75 meetings since the start of EL3, which includes 32 community workshops in Phases 1 and 2, and 43 community workshops and Local Enabling Group (LEG) meetings held in 2023 and 2024 in Phases 3 and 4 so far, to work towards establishing the EL3 trial sites with each community.

On 10 August 2023 the Tasmanian Minister for Education announced stakeholder engagement to be undertaken in Hobart and Launceston to better understand the supports and action needed for further expansion of early learning for three year olds across Tasmania now and into the future (also known as the Research and Development Project).

DECYP has engaged Ernst and Young and have completed stakeholder engagement with the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector in Greater Hobart and Greater Launceston to better understand issues, barriers to service expansion and opportunities to overcome these, with consideration of ECEC initiatives underway in other states and territories.

Findings from the stakeholder engagement along with economic modelling will inform actions toward the long-term goal of Universal Access to early learning for three year olds in Tasmania, and is an important part of the partnership approach between the Tasmanian Government and the ECEC sector to achieve this goal.

Guided by the EL3 Advisory Group the trial sites are being co-designed by each community to tailor the services to each individual community’s needs. DECYP will continue this work based on recommendations from community LEGs and in partnership with ECEC services, the Independent and Catholic education sector, and other key early years services.

Communities that are working together to establish EL3 Trial Sites are:

• Break O’Day / Coles Bay region
• East Devonport
• Flinders Island and Cape Barren Island
• Bruny Island
• West Coast region

With ongoing input from the LEGs the trial sites will commence to test the EL3 service models following the completion of the following process and project milestones.

A summary of key implementation steps and current activities is below: