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IMAGE CAPTION: City Facilities Management CEO Chris Winchester joins Goodstart CEO Ros Baxter to sign a landmark partnership, joined by members of City and Goodstart's leadership team
At least 115 children experiencing vulnerability across Australia each year will have the chance to attend two days of early learning each week, thanks to a landmark five-year partnership between Goodstart Early Learning’s Early Learning Fund and global facilities management leader City Facilities Management (City).
The partnership is the largest corporate commitment in the Early Learning Fund’s 10-year history, and the largest charitable partnership City has undertaken in Australia. It builds on a long-standing operational partnership between the two organisations, with City now stepping in to support children and families directly.
These places will go to children who need them most – including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from families experiencing financial hardship, refugee and humanitarian entrants, and children at risk of abuse or neglect. Over the life of the partnership, hundreds of children from the most vulnerable circumstances will start school on track with their peers.
Dr Ros Baxter, CEO of Goodstart Early Learning, said the partnership will mean hundreds more children can benefit from the proven life-long advantages of high quality, inclusive early learning.
“Every child deserves the best possible start in life, but too many still miss out because of circumstances beyond their control. Through City’s extraordinary commitment, we can reach more of the children who stand to gain the most from early learning – children who without the Early Learning Fund simply wouldn’t have this opportunity.”
She said the scale and continuity of City’s investment is particularly significant.
“What makes this partnership so powerful is that it guarantees ongoing access for children at scale – allowing us to keep building a strong evidence base about what works, and to continue advocating for system-wide changes so these children face fewer barriers to participation. Those barriers aren’t just financial – they include challenges around inclusion, language and access – and the Early Learning Fund is helping to break them down.”
This ongoing commitment will also strengthen the Early Learning Fund’s long-term sustainability ensuring it can keep pace with growing demand. Thousands of children across Australia still miss out on early learning because of financial and non-financial barriers, and partnerships like this provide the stable, reliable funding needed to plan for and expand support year after year.
The Early Learning Fund exists as a safety net for children who have exhausted all other government support but remain in critical need. These are children most at risk of starting school developmentally behind – a disadvantage that can last a lifetime. Through the Fund, the cost of two days of early learning each week is almost entirely covered through targeted fee relief, with families making a small $5 per week co-contribution as a shared commitment to their child’s early learning journey.
City’s Chris Winchester, Group CEO APAC & North America said the partnership reflects the company’s values and its commitment to making a tangible difference in the communities they serve.
“Our work with Goodstart has always been about creating safe, quality and welcoming spaces for children to thrive. Extending that partnership to help fund early learning places for children who need it most is something our people are deeply proud of.
“This demonstrates our belief in the importance of early childhood education, and the power of early learning to make transformative change. We value knowing our impact extends far beyond the spaces we maintain, it’s about helping to build stronger futures for the next generation.”
Goodstart’s data shows that children supported through the Early Learning Fund attend early learning at nearly the same rates as their more advantaged peers, closing participation gaps that otherwise persist. Over recent years, the Fund has also built an evidence base for systemic reform - including the Federal Government’s upcoming Three Day Guarantee starting January 2026. The Guarantee is a major step forward. The Early Learning Fund, through its fee-relief, removes financial barriers for children experiencing vulnerability and will complement this reform – helping ensure these children can fully participate in and benefit from early learning.
Ros said partnerships like this are vital to keeping up with demand.
“There are still thousands of children missing out on early learning due to financial and non-financial barriers. Philanthropic and corporate partners like City help us remove those barriers – and help change lives.”
About the Early Learning Fund
The Early Learning Fund (ELF) is a charitable initiative of Goodstart Early Learning, designed to ensure no child experiencing vulnerability misses out on early learning in the two years before school. Each eligible child receives fee relief to attend two days of early learning each week, with parents making a $5 weekly co-contribution. Eligible children include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from families experiencing financial hardship, refugee and humanitarian entrants and children at risk of abuse or neglect.
Evidence shows that children who attend quality early learning in the years before school do better at school and in life. Vulnerable children stand to benefit the most, yet research consistently indicates they are the least likely to attend due to cost and other participation barriers.
Cyndel’s Story
When Cyndel became a single parent, she was determined to create a better life for her children – but financial hardship threatened to keep them from early learning. Through Goodstart’s Early Learning Fund (ELF), financial barriers were removed by providing fee relief – first for her son and now for her three-year-old daughter. As a single parent, Cyndel needed additional support to change her circumstances. The results speak for themselves as both children are now thriving in their learning and development, and Cyndel has returned to work, improving her family’s financial security.