Heri Yangu Foundation members support ongoing advocacy for the best interests of young children with the vision: ‘every young child is thriving and learning’. At the national level, our members have enabled HYF to engage in advocacy to governments and parliaments at both National and County level. We have met with MPs and policy makers, written submissions and letters, engaged in mainstream media and sat on advisory/reference groups.

Members are given the opportunity to provide input into submissions, respond to surveys and make their voices heard on issues that affect them and the children and families in their early learning communities. It can take several months or years and much persistence to make progress on important issues. Some of the key achievements that HYF and its members can be proud of in recent times include:

• We have supported a smooth transition to the Child Care Subsidy while consistently raising concerns about the impact of the Activity Test, the complexity of the means test and issues with access to Additional Child Care Subsidy.

• Our recent advocacy drawing attention to the impact of COVID-19 on children’s attendance and enrolment in early education precipitated the government relief package – while the package itself was problematic and not what HYF recommended, it was at least a response to the imminent crisis. We have made a submission more recently advocating changes to the relief package and suggestions for the pathway to recovery

• The review of rural and remote schooling expanded its remit to include consideration of access to preschool/kindergarten.