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* 1. For statistical purposes only, please enter your Local Council or Postcode:

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* 2. To what extent has the Universal Access National Partnership (operating as Start Strong in NSW) policy objectives, outcomes and outputs been achieved?

Background: The objective of the UANP is to “maintain universal access to, and improve participation in, affordable, quality early childhood education programs for all children”. Specifically, the purpose is to ensure that every child in Australia has access to a minimum of 600 hours per year of preschool delivered by a qualified early childhood teacher in the year before full-time school, in a way that meets the needs of families and while ensuring that cost is not a barrier. We are interested in your views about whether and how this objective has been met.

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* 3. What should the Universal Access National Partnership (UANP) (operating as Start Strong in NSW) target and measure, and how should data be collected and used?

BACKGROUND: The UANP’s performance indicators, benchmarks and targets focus effort on maintaining universal access to and improving participation in affordable, quality preschool, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage. We are interested in your views about the focus of the UANP funding agreement and whether performance or success is being tracked and measured in the right way.

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* 4. Are the current Universal Access National Partnership (UANP) (operating as Start Strong in NSW) arrangements efficient and effective and how could the efficiency, effectiveness and equity of UANP funding be improved?

BACKGROUND: Are the current UANP arrangements efficient and effective and how could the efficiency, effectiveness and equity of UANP funding be improved?

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* 5. How does the preschool system operate across States and Territories and settings?

BACKGROUND: The context in which the National Partnership agreement operates is important to understanding its achievements and future directions. The UANP allows for flexibility in how and where preschool is delivered; it can be delivered in schools, stand-alone preschools or within centre-based daycare. It can reflect different approaches and involve connections to other services – as long as it is delivered by a teacher whose
qualifications meet National Quality Framework requirements. The Review is interested in understanding more about how models of delivery vary to meet the contexts and needs of different communities or different cohorts of children. This includes understanding how that UANP funding complements other government funding (local government, State and Territory, and Australian Government) and any private investment, particularly with respect to lifting participation in quality preschool. Please note that the Review is not reviewing the specific funding and delivery arrangements in States and Territories, but how the UANP complements existing models of preschool delivery.

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* 6. Based on your experiences, should changes should be made to future national policy on preschool for children in the year before full-time school, and why? What improvements would these changes make? What works well with the current UANP arrangements?

BACKGROUND: This is an opportunity to provide any additional comments that you think are relevant to the design of future preschool arrangements, including taking into account each State and Territory’s context and the interaction of the UANP funding and other funding including Child Care Subsidy payments. For example, we would appreciate any further views on how funding might be better used to maintain and improve universal access to preschool and learning outcomes for children, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children in regional and remote areas, and children experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage. We would also welcome suggestions on changes that could usefully be made to the UANP agreement itself (e.g. its objective, outcomes, outputs indicators, benchmarks and targets) to ensure children receive the full benefits of accessible, affordable quality preschool.

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* 7. OPTIONAL: Please complete the following if you would like the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW to contact you.

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* 8. Do you have any other additional comment(s) for the Federal and NSW Governments or ACA NSW?

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