As Aboriginal people are the Traditional Custodians of NSW, we refer to Aboriginal people. The department’s Aboriginal programs and services are available, without question, to Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Program overview

​​The Aboriginal Families as Teachers (AFaT) program aims to empower Aboriginal families to build a developmentally supportive home learning environment and increase access and engagement in age-appropriate learning for Aboriginal children.

​AFaT focuses on working directly with families and collaborating with early learning services to encourage age-appropriate learning and access for children aged 0–5 years in a quality, culturally strong early childhood education program. It grants funding to provide a structured 5-day early childhood education program for Aboriginal families.

​The NSW Department of Education (the department) is committed to ensuring all Aboriginal children can access quality early childhood education and care (ECEC), with strong connections to culture and identity. The First Steps Strategy 2026–29 outlines this vision and sets clear goals to improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal children aged 0–5. The AFaT program directly aligns with these priorities by supporting culturally safe, community-led learning environments and strengthening pathways to early education. This alignment reinforces AFaT as an investment in Closing the Gap outcomes and Aboriginal led approaches.

Program guidelines

Program objectives

The program has 6 core objectives:

1. ​Support Aboriginal families to strengthen and grow developmentally supportive home learning environments.

​Provide culturally appropriate resources and learning intentions for the children and families each session. This approach recognises families as a child’s first and most important teachers, and aims to strengthen confidence, connection and continuity between home and early learning settings.

2. Promote literacy and numeracy practices.

​Deliver culturally responsive literacy and numeracy learning activities and resources to all engaged families, with the goal of increasing home-based literacy and numeracy practices, measured through parent feedback and participation data.

3. ​Support families’ knowledge and understanding of their children’s learning and healthy development.

​Deliver programs that introduce and builds on family knowledge of child development milestones and strengthens early learning strategies to support growth.

​4. Support successful transitions for Aboriginal children and families.

​Work with children, families, schools and early childhood services to co-design culturally safe transition plans, aiming for increased enrolment and positive transition experiences to available early learning services or school.

5. ​Promote the value of early childhood education and increase participation in quality ECEC programs.

​Engage families and communities through culturally led outreach to boost enrolment in ECEC, with a target of 600 hours participation in the year before school.

6. ​Improve developmental outcomes across all 5 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) domains.

​Establish partnerships with health services to support access to regular health and developmental checks. Use these results, together with strength-based assessments and family-supported learning plans, to monitor children’s physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development in line with AEDC indicators. Acknowledge and uphold Aboriginal data sovereignty in the collection, storage and use of information.

Key information

​Status: Round 2 is open from 12 am Thursday 5 June to 31 July 2026.

​The Aboriginal Families as Teachers (AFaT) program offers targeted, competitive grants for the 2026–2029 funding period as part of a 4-year funding cycle.

​This round is non-competitive for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCO), provided they meet the eligibility criteria: applications will still be assessed alongside all other applicants.

Funding for AFaT is under the expanded First Steps Strategy 2026–29 and future rounds will be subject to budget availability.

Eligibility criteria

​​Applications for AFaT funding must meet the following requirements:

• Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCO) or
• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander organisation (for example, Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) registration, Supply Nation or Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, documentation showing 51% Aboriginal ownership, or any other relevant documentation)
• a not-for-profit service located in an eligible location (see list below).

and

• have proposed program activities developed by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) and implemented by a certificate III, diploma qualified early childhood educator, ECT or another person with a relevant tertiary qualification.

Eligible SA3 Locations*

• Lower Hunter
• Tamworth/Gunnedah

*Locations are based on the ABS Maps (Australian Bureau of Statistics) SA3 locations that the ECEC service is located in. Check against the SA3 maps in the ABS Maps | Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Assessment criteria

The department will assess applications against eligibility criteria, program objectives, application requirements and spending rules.

Applications must meet the eligibility criteria. They will also be considered against the following assessment criteria:

• previous experience working with Aboriginal families and communities
• previous experience working with families with children aged 0–5
• established links with ECEC providers in the community in which the program is proposed
• established links with Aboriginal organisations/support agencies/community led initiatives in the community in which the program is proposed
• the quality rating of ECEC services: service should usually have a rating Meeting the National Standard (or better) for each ECEC service they are seeking a AFaT grant for. Applications to run a program in an eligible-ECEC service that is rated Working Towards or are awaiting assessment and rating, may be considered in some circumstances at the department’s discretion.
• the history of compliance with ECEC regulatory requirements of the organisation and service
• compliance and performance for previous AFaT funding.

AFaT prioritises applications from ACCOs.

This aligns with the NSW Government’s commitment to Priority Reform Two of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the First Steps Strategy 2026–29, which focuses on strengthening the community-controlled sector.

An ACCO is an organisation that delivers services, including land and resource management that builds the strength and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people, that is also either: 

• incorporated under relevant legislation and operates on a not-for-profit basis
• controlled and operated by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
• connected to the community or communities in which they deliver services
• governed by a board or management body where the majority are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. 

Grant Value

Each grant provides base funding of up to $63,000 per year to support program delivery, including staffing and key program activities, with funding increasing for each additional delivery location to reflect the broader reach and delivery effort.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the program guidelines for a detailed breakdown of eligible funding components, including staff requirements, program delivery costs, community engagement activities and administration expenses.

The guidelines also outline additional funding for programs delivered across multiple priority locations, as well as key information on funding structure, eligibility and reporting requirements.

Spending rules

What AFaT grants can be used for

Successful applicants must only use funding for the development and delivery of the AFaT program, as outlined in their approved application, in line with Funding Agreement.

• Funding must only be used for activities that are directly attributable to the core delivery of the AFaT program (playgroups, in home learning support, literacy, numeracy and transition programs).

• Funded staff positions must have clearly defined AFaT duties, with the proportion of time spent on AFaT activities separately identified and documented.

• Activities need to commence during the calendar year of the successful grant contract.

• The program must be named and identified as Aboriginal Families as Teachers.

What AFaT grants cannot be used for

• Funding cannot be used to replace any existing funding sources.
  

• AFaT funding cannot be combined with other grant or program funds to deliver the same activity. Each funded activity must be unique to AFaT.

Payments

​​Program grants will be paid to successful applicants as notified by the department. The amount of funding provided will be based on the department's assessment of amount requested and the information provided in the application.

​Grants payments will only be progressed for applicants that are registered in the Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS) and have entered into a funding agreement for this program with the department.

​Grant payments are made every 6 months until the end of the funding agreement.​

Reporting requirements

Funded organisations must:

• Submit financial accountability reports 6 months after the initial payment and annually thereafter.
• Submit performance reports twice per calendar year.

These reports ensure funding is appropriate, services are compliant and data is accurate. Programs may be audited and the department will monitor implementation through reporting and acquittals.

Failure to meet reporting or funding requirements may result in referral to the Children’s Program Team for support. Continued non-compliance may lead to funding suspension or withdrawal.

Program monitoring and evaluation

​​Program evaluation will involve qualitative and quantitative measures including feedback from services on the value of the educational opportunity to the children.

​Monitoring and evaluation will be ongoing throughout the funding agreement, and will guide any necessary adjustments to the program, with ongoing consultation to inform of changes and to gather feedback from stakeholders.

​Evaluation will be included under the First Steps Strategy evaluation using the Re-Imagining Evaluation Framework. The Re-imagining Evaluation Framework places Aboriginal students, families and communities at the centre of all evaluation processes. In line with the Framework’s Guiding Principles, evaluation will be culturally responsive, informed by authentic consultation and grounded in what communities’ value as success.

​Services will use a developmental tracking tool of their choice to monitor Aboriginal children’s progress across the 5 developmental domains. This information will be collated through end-of-year performance and accountability reports, contributing to a deeper understanding of children's strengths and learning journeys in context.

Additional information

SmartyGrants Help Guide

SmartyGrants Help Guide for Applicants and Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).

Contact Details

For more information about the AFaT program, please contact the Aboriginal Services team at the department's Aboriginal Early Childhood Outcomes Directorate:

• Email: AboriginalprogramsECED@det.nsw.edu.au

Feedback and Complaints

If you have feedback, suggestions or complaints about the application and assessment process, you can contact the department at ECE.aboriginalengagement@det.nsw.edu.au.

Alternatively, you may:

• Complete the NSW Department of Education complaint, compliment or suggestion form.
• Call 1800 619 113.

Access to Information

For information about your right to access government-held information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act), please refer to the department’s Agency Information Guide or contact the Right to Access team via GIPA@det.nsw.edu.au.