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Improving access to urban and regional early childhood services

by Ware V-A

Abstract

This resource sheet reviews the literature on about 30 studies which explore practical ways to improve access to a range of early childhood services for Indigenous Australians living in urban and regional centres.

It describes five barriers to accessing early childhood services, at an individual-level, provider-level, and program-level, social and neighbourhood-level and cultural-level. The report highlights that despite these barriers, there are many paths that services can take to improve access to programs and services for Indigenous families, described in this report as facilitators.

The studies reviewed are predominantly Australian, however, international evidence has been incorporated where appropriate. There is a reliance on general practice experience in drawing out this resource sheet's findings and principles, due to limited evaluations that test if and how different strategies and mechanisms contribute to improved service accessibility.

This resource sheet was produced for the Closing the Gap Clearinghouse.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

Links

• View report: Improving access to urban and regional early childhood services (PDF - 1.3 MB)
• View information: Improving access to urban and regional early childhood services
• View website: Closing the Gap Clearinghouse