News edition for 9 October 2026. Added to Nungya on 22 October 2026 as part of our retrospective news archive. Reporting reflects information available by the edition date.

Two new programs will support Aboriginal communities seeking to establish and sustain their own early childhood education and care services. SNAICC and the Coaxial Foundation announced a three-year partnership on 9 October, bringing organisational support and workforce development into the same initiative.

Nest and Nurture is designed to help communities establish Aboriginal community-controlled early childhood services. Services will receive intensive support under the Nest and Nurture operator, building their capacity to deliver culturally strong education and care that responds to local needs.

The Workforce Innovation Fund will use a tendered grants process to resource workforce solutions developed by communities. SNAICC says the work will also build evidence about approaches that could be strengthened or used more widely.

The partnership announcement draws on feedback from Aboriginal-led early-years services over several years. It identifies two practical barriers: the structures needed to operate a service and the people needed to keep it going.

For families, those behind-the-scenes conditions influence whether a trusted local service can become a reality. The partnership’s next chapter will be the work with communities, turning plans for new structures and workforce approaches into places where children can learn and families feel a sense of belonging.