Closing the Gap targets: key findings and implications

Target

The target associated with Outcome 4 of the 2020 National Agreement is to increase the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children assessed as developmentally on track in all 5 domains of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) to 55% by 2031.

Background

Investing time, effort and resources in children’s early years to ensure they are developmentally on track yields lifelong benefits for children and the whole community.

The direct factors of early child development include personal characteristics of the child and their socioeconomic, educational and/or psychosocial environment, such as:

• physical disability, such as vision and hearing impairments
• emotional or social developmental difficulties
• preschool attendance, school absences
• stress in the home environment
• parental/carers’ education and occupation.

The intermediate factors of early child development include community infrastructure, cultural continuity, health-care systems, racism, social exclusion, social inequality, forced separation from parents, self-determination and impacts of colonialism.

Current status

In 2021, about 34% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (First Nations) children were assessed as developmentally on track compared with 56% of non-Indigenous children. However, the gap in developmental outcomes between First Nations and non-Indigenous children has been closing over time.

To meet the 2031 target, it was projected that the proportion of First Nations children developmentally on track would need to be 39.8% in 2021; however, the actual proportion in 2021 was 5.5 percentage points (pp) lower than this.

In 2021, the highest proportion of First Nations children developmentally on track in all 5 AEDC domains was seen in:

• New South Wales (39%)
• Tasmania (38%)
• Victoria (36%)

and the lowest in:

• the Northern Territory (16%)
• the Australian Capital Territory (27%).

The proportion of First Nations children developmentally on track has been increasing over time in most jurisdictions except for Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

The proportion of First Nations children developmentally on track was highest in Major cities (38%), followed by Inner (35%) and Outer (34%) regional areas; the corresponding proportions were 28% in Remote areas and only about 16% in Very remote areas (with no increase since 2012).

In less disadvantaged areas (top 3 quintiles of the ABS’ derived Socioeconomic Indexes for Areas [SEIFA] – IRSD), the proportion of First Nations children developmentally on track ranged from 40% to 47% – above the national 39.8% projected for 2021. In the most disadvantaged areas (the bottom SEIFA – IRSD quintile), the proportion developmentally on track was 28%.

Key findings

The cross-sectional analysis showed: 

• One in 3 First Nations children were reported as having at least one type of developmental difficulty that affected their learning (such as physical disability, including visual, hearing or speech impairment; psychological stress; problems at home; trauma; behavioural issues). In the presence of any developmental difficulties, the proportion of First Nations children developmentally on track was 11% compared with 44% in their absence.
• Among First Nations children who attended preschool, 37% were reported as developmentally on track, compared with 21% among First Nations children who did not attend preschool. 
• The proportion of First Nations children developmentally on track decreased with increasing number of days absent from school (from 47% for those absent for 0–1 day to 23% for those absent for more than 10 days). About 45% of First Nations children were reported absent for more than 10 days since the start of the school year, and another 23% were absent for 6–10 days.

The regression analysis shows that, controlling for other factors, statistically significant predictors of being developmentally on track for First Nations children were:

• having attended preschool in the year before starting school (positive association)
• absence from school (size of the negative effect increasing with increasing number of absent days)
• presence of any developmental difficulties (negative association)
• parental education and employment (positive association)
• having problems at home or trauma related to isolation (negative association).

Presence of any developmental difficulties was identified as the most important factor explaining the variation in First Nations children being developmentally on track at the population level.

Strategies for improvement

To drive progress towards this target, the main factors identified as important predictors of early child development in this analysis and literature review need to be managed through social policy and programs.

As well as increasing the physical and financial availability of preschool services, the attendance of First Nations children at preschool may be improved by providing incentives for culturally sensitive early childhood education programs, engaging First Nations preschool workers, and building trust with First Nations communities.

For early detection and management of health issues to counter First Nations childhood disability and to maximise participation in the education system, it is critical to:

• increase access to culturally appropriate, accessible and acceptable health and social services
• ensure that the services are led and controlled by First Nations people
• increase workforce participation of First Nations people in health, education, and social services.

As well as improving parental/carers’ education outcomes and mitigating household socioeconomic disadvantage, consistent school attendance could benefit from providing programs at school – particularly early in First Nations children’s schooling – that support and treat emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Improving parental education depends on a range of broader systemic and structural factors, such as health, housing, transportation and social welfare. Parents would benefit from support to access further education and to find employment, as well as to deal with the social determinants of health (including inadequate housing).

Factors likely to reduce the stress and trauma that First Nations families experience – and the resulting social and emotional problems that children experience – include providing postnatal home visiting programs, early education, and day care and parenting programs for preschoolers and early school age children.

Communities whose AEDC scores have improved over time have been those with strong links between schools, child-care services, and community organisations such as health services.