Report
Scaling Child and Family Hubs: From special projects to system-wide integrated care for children and families experiencing disadvantage
AUTHORS
Emma Sydenham1 Director
Suzy Honisett2 PhD, Senior Research Fellow 
Stephanie Chiang3 Policy and Research Officer *
Caitlin Graham3 Associate Director, Early Childhood
Danielle Toon4 Head of Strategic Initiatives
Nick Davis5 Manager, Policy – Early Learning and Development
Christine D’Rozario3 Policy and Program Manager
Frances Martin6 Director Strategy
Dana Newcomb7 PhD, Medical Director Integrated Care
Myra Geddes8 Chief Impact Officer
AFFILIATIONS
1 Early Childhood, Social Ventures Australia, Melbourne, Vic. 3000, Australia
2 Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, Vic. 3025, Australia
3 Social Ventures Australia, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
4 The Bryan Foundation, Brisbane, Qld 4000, Australia
5 SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, Collingwood, Vic. 3066, Australia
6 Our Place, Mulgrave, Vic. 3170, Australia
7 Children’s Health Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia
8 Goodstart Early Learning, Murarrie, Qld 4172, Australia
ACCEPTED: 18 March 2026
Early abstract
Child and Family Hubs are a promising model of integrated service delivery, offering families access to education, including Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), health and social services, and parenting guidance. They provide a place where families build relationships and connect with professionals who know them and their story, and can support them to get what they need, when they need it. Evidence shows hubs improve school readiness and academic outcomes; service access; early identification of developmental needs; child health outcomes; and family engagement and wellbeing.
This article provides an overview of the current hubs landscape in Australia, the evidence for integrated service delivery, and current policy opportunities for expansion and systematisation. While hub models exist across Australia, scaling them beyond special projects into government systems remains a challenge. Systemic implementation requires reform at all levels, including governance, regulation, funding, planning, and practice. This process takes resources, skills, political will and intentionality, but ultimately delivers better outcomes for children and for taxpayers through avoiding long-term costs and better use of existing investments in the service system.
Current momentum to embed hubs within early childhood systems is building and this article outlines an ambitious five-year agenda on how it could be taken forward. It includes case studies such as the Our Place model in Victoria and identifies policy opportunities for expansion. Key recommendations include establishing a national taskforce, aligning funding and governance across jurisdictions, supporting ACCO-led models, and introducing long-term funding and shared data frameworks to sustain integrated, place-based care. Together these developments could see a strong foundation for systemisation of hubs within our early childhood systems to improve outcomes for children experiencing disadvantage.
Keywords: community, early childhood, early childhood education and care, integration, schooling.