The department is committed to giving every child in NSW the best start to life and learning.

Recognising and celebrating a child’s culture and home language helps children from diverse backgrounds feel valued, safe, and supported as they learn.

This page has resources to help families and educators make sure children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can succeed in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings.

Getting started with early childhood education and care (ECEC)

The early years are a period of rapid brain development. Early childhood education teaches children aged 0 to 5 about themselves and the world through play-based learning. Educators work together with families and children to create a sense of belonging, safety and inclusion.

These resources will help families navigate ECEC settings.

Supporting your child’s development

Quality ECEC will give your child a strong start in life and learning, by encouraging social, emotional, and physical development.

Your culture, language, and traditions are an important part of your child’s learning journey in the early years.

The Brighter Beginnings Parent and Carer Information Hub has resources to help families from pregnancy to age 5. The information is translated into 15 languages.

Resources for educators and services

Including family connections, cultural identities and home languages in your teaching practice helps children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to thrive in ECEC settings.

Resources are available to help educators incorporate inclusive practices for multicultural communities and children. These resources directly contribute to meeting the ‘Respect for diversity’ principle within the Early Years Learning Framework 2.0, and Quality Areas 1, 5, and 6 of the National Quality Standard.

The Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework has also been developed to support ECEC providers to offer education and care services that are culturally responsive, safe and welcoming for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families.