ENHANCING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE
Enhancing Early Childhood Education and Care (EECEC) aims to increase capacity in Emerald and Blackwater.
The first stage is now complete, with 10 actions identified to address critical shortages. These recommendations include increasing long day care services, establishing in-region staff training and boosting a recruitment campaign.
View a summary of the findings or contact CHDC to request a copy of the full report.
CHDC is leading EECEC in collaboration with Astute Early Years Specialists and Infinitum Partners.
EECEC was identified as a priority in the Central Highlands Workforce Development and Accommodation Strategy.
Phase One
The focus of the first phase was to identify challenges and explore solutions to support capacity building and workforce sustainability in early childhood education and childcare services across the Central Highlands.
To achieve this, Childcare Chats were held in Blackwater and Emerald to get input from working families.
Astute Early Years Specialists also engaged with people in the industry via a sector-specific survey, one-on-ones and an information session in Emerald in early 2025. A community survey was also conducted.
A webinar series was delivered to help early childhood education and care services grow their workforce and maximise utilisation.
Scroll down this page for more details.
A survey was conducted in March and April 2025 to gain input from the broader community, especially parents, caregivers and employers who use childcare services, including Outside School Hours Care.
Congratulations to Blackwater’s Bridget Javati and Emerald’s Paula Swain, who each won a $100 voucher to a local dining venue of their choice. Bridget and Paula’s names were picked in a random draw after completing the survey.
As part of our ongoing engagement with families and educators, CHDC hosted Childcare Chats in Blackwater and Emerald in June 2025.
These informal, in-person sessions were a chance to have real conversations about what’s working, what’s not, and how we can improve early childhood education and care together.
Thank you to everyone who came along. Your candour in sharing your personal stories and challenges is appreciated and will help to shape the EECEC.
Thanks also to everyone who helped make these events a success, including Michael from Blackwater’s Woolworths who donated sausages, Blackwater State School, Rotary Club of Emerald and Pixie Dust Painters.
Click on any image below to scroll through full gallery of photos from the Childcare Chats.
Recordings of a series of free webinars can be watched here.
These 15-minute sessions were delivered by Astute Early Years Specialists and are for those currently employed in early childhood education or childcare and those considering or interested in a career in the sector.
- Strategic Rostering: Rostering that aligns with service needs, constraints.
- Smart Staffing: Explore sustainable staffing models that prevent burnout, reduce turnover.
- Mind the Gap: Gain practical tools to spot skill and shift coverage gaps.
- Future-Ready Rosters: Build flexible rosters that adapt to change and anticipate needs.
Findings from this project were released in late 2025.
Key recommendations include:
- increasing long day care services
- establishing in-region staff training
- boosting a recruitment campaign
CHDC is now actively seeking resourcing to support the industry to implement the recommendations.
This project was identified as Action 5 – Childcare Alliance in the Workforce Development and Accommodation Strategy.
CHDC submitted a grant application to the Queensland Government and, following a successful outcome, the funding supported the first stage of the project throughout 2025.
CHDC is now actively seeking resourcing to progress the recommendations from the first stage.
PROJECT PARTNERS
Phase one of Enhancing Early Childhood Education and Care was proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government.
