About
In March 2020, more than 500 leaders and change-makers from all states and territories and sectors that engage with young children and families, gathered in Melbourne for the National Early Years Summit. The Summit proved a flashpoint with participants (‘the Summiteers’) uniting around a commitment to advance a national, system-wide approach to improving early childhood development outcomes, to realise the shared vision that by 2030, significantly more children in Australia will be thriving in their first 2,000 days and beyond (pregnancy to five).
The Summit resulted in a draft Blueprint which outlined a plan to improve the health and wellbeing of young children and their families and to act as a launchpad for ongoing national collaborative work. The Summit also committed to establish a collective of organisations to lead the finalisation of the Blueprint and catalyse action in the field – the Early Years Catalyst.
Founding Members
The Early Years Catalyst was established in 2021 with twelve founding members:
- ARACY (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth)
- Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Centre for Policy Development
- Every Child Campaign (led by The Benevolent Society)
- Families Australia
- The Front Project
- Goodstart Early Learning
- Logan Together
- Parent-Infant Research Institute
- SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
- Social Ventures Australia
- Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership
The Early Years Catalyst is co-chaired by Jane Hunt, CEO of The Front Project and Penny Dakin, CEO of ARACY.
Our Supporters
The Early Years Catalyst is enabled through the generous donation of time by our members and funding support from:
BHP Foundation’s vision is an equitable and sustainable future for people and planet. We blend bold ambition, transformation partnership and business acumen to catalyse new solutions to the world’s most complex social and environment challenges. In Australia, it is our aim to shape a more equitable and sustainable Australia through a focus on Indigenous self-determination and the well-being of children and young people.
- Alan and Gill Gray Philanthropy Australasia