ELACCA expands to welcome Gowrie Australia

Media release

26 November 2021

The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) is pleased to announce its expansion, welcoming Gowrie Australia as the newest member.

‘We are delighted to welcome the Gowrie network to ELACCA,’ said CEO Elizabeth Death.

‘The Gowrie name has been synonymous with early learning in Australia since the 1930s, when the Australian Government began establishing centres for early learning and child development in each of the states, named in honour of Lady Gowrie,’ Ms Death said.

‘We look forward to drawing on the Gowrie organisations’ deep experience as we build a better early learning and care future for Australia.’

Gowrie Australia is the national consortium of Gowrie organisations, which provide services to young children and families in almost every state and territory. The Gowrie organisations operate more than 50 long day care centres and preschools/kindergartens.

ELACCA now has 20 members, operating 2,318 early learning and care services across Australia, in every state and territory. ELACCA members provide around 30 per cent of all the approved early learning places in Australia, educating and caring for more than 243,000 children.

Since its establishment in 2014, ELACCA has sought to use its scale and reach to pursue better early learning outcomes for all young Australians.

The organisation’s work program covers three areas:

  • building higher quality in early learning and care services
  • building the educator workforce
  • improving equity of access to early learning for all children.