Reconciliation

Our vision for reconciliation  

At Goodstart, reconciliation is central to our vision of providing all Australia’s children with the best start in life. We have both the opportunity and responsibility to help inform Australia’s future leaders through our early learning programs provided to over 61,000 children each year. In 650 unique communities across the nation we are committed to sharing our commitment to reconciliation with children, their families and communities. 

We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the original storytellers, teachers, and guides of this nation. We take pride in sharing Australia’s rich past and creating a strong sense of belonging for First Nations children, employees and families, who are part of our Goodstart community. Our vision for reconciliation is a thriving Australia that embraces and celebrates the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We envision a future where every child, family, and community we serve is empowered, respected, and actively a part of Goodstart’s and Australia’s shared journey of reconciliation. 

Guided by Reconciliation Australia’s five dimensions of reconciliation, we aspire to lead the early learning sector and advance Australia’s journey towards reconciliation. As the nations largest provider of early childhood education we will be bold, brave, and innovative in our approach, always striving to do more and achieve more. We believe that reconciliation is about more than just words; it’s about meaningful actions. We are dedicated to deep listening, engaging with our First Nations Goodstarters, Elders, and Knowledge Holders to shape our reconciliation journey in every community we are a part of. We recognise the importance of stronger First Nations representation across all role types and in leadership positions. We are committed to ongoing learning and improvement in our reconciliation efforts.

Reconciliation Action Plan

Goodstart has been a reconciliation journey for more than 11 years. 

In 2014, Goodstart was one of the first early learning providers to develop an Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). In 2020 we reinvigorated our plan and launched our first Stretch RAP 2020 – 2023.

In 2024, our second Stretch RAP (2024 – 2027) was launched outlining our deepening commitment to reconciliation. It marks the start of a new phase in our journey, with bolder and braver actions to create greater positive social change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Our organisational-wide RAP is complemented by centre-based RAPs. 100% of Goodstart centres are on their own individual journey with Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education, holding a draft or published RAP. 

Reports 

In 2022, Goodstart embarked on a project to consider the question: How might we address disproportionate developmental vulnerability for remote children by codesigning sustainable, scalable, high-quality education and care offerings that advance education within Australia?

We are pleased to now share with you the following two reports relating to this work. 

• Remote Access Matters This report provides detailed insights gained through our research and codesign activities with two remote communities. We share what we learned with them about their histories, cultures, strengths, and unmet needs.
• Codesigning with remote communities in response to complex social challenges This report provides a detailed analysis and critical reflection of two different codesign approaches we employed to engage with two remote communities.