Perfect for Social Inclusion week 21-29 November 2026: Connect, Collaborate & Celebrate!
By BEST Childcare Consulting
Social Inclusion Week is a wonderful opportunity for childcare services to celebrate diversity, strengthen community connections and reflect on how every child and family experiences a genuine sense of belonging.
With ACECQA’s NEW Inclusion Ready Toolkit and valuable resources from Diversity Kids, services can explore practical ways to remove barriers, strengthen inclusive practices and support every child’s participation.
Our latest BEST article brings together new ACECQA resources, age-specific programming ideas from Babies through to OSHC, and QIP examples across all seven Quality Areas incorporating the three Exceeding NQS themes.
Inclusion isn’t just for Social Inclusion Week – it should be embedded in everyday practice throughout the year!
Social inclusion in early childhood education
Social Inclusion Week is an Australian initiative encouraging individuals, communities and organisations to strengthen connections, celebrate diversity and create opportunities for everyone to experience a genuine sense of belonging. The 2026 theme, “Connect, Collaborate & Celebrate!”, provides an opportunity for early childhood education and care services to reflect on how children, families and educators experience inclusion in their everyday environments.
In early childhood education, inclusion is about much more than ensuring every child can attend or participate in an activity. It means recognising each child’s individuality, abilities, cultural identity, family circumstances, communication preferences and support needs, and actively removing barriers that might prevent them from fully participating in the life of the service.
For educators, this involves looking beyond special events and celebrations to consider the relationships, routines, learning environments and teaching practices that influence children’s sense of belonging. A child may be physically present in a learning environment but still experience exclusion if they cannot access activities, communicate their needs, establish friendships or contribute meaningfully to decisions.
Social Inclusion Week also provides an opportunity to strengthen partnerships with families, community organisations and specialist services. Families bring valuable knowledge about their children, while community partnerships can help educators develop more inclusive environments and respond to the diverse needs of their local communities.
Importantly, inclusive practice is not the responsibility of one educator or limited to children with diagnosed disabilities. It is a whole-service commitment reflected in leadership decisions, educational programming, educator interactions, policies, environments and ongoing critical reflection.
For services working towards an Exceeding National Quality Standard rating, Social Inclusion Week provides an opportunity to demonstrate how inclusive practices have become embedded in everyday operations, informed by meaningful partnerships and continuously improved through reflection.
New ACECQA Resources: The Inclusion Ready Toolkit
One of the most significant recent developments for the early childhood sector is the release of ACECQA’s Inclusion Ready Toolkit, announced by the Australian Government Department of Education on 15 September 2026.
Developed by ACECQA, the free toolkit supports approved providers, service leaders and educators to strengthen inclusive practice through professional learning, self-assessment and continuous quality improvement. More than 1,700 educators, leaders and providers contributed to its development.
Rather than simply providing another inclusion checklist, the toolkit encourages services to examine how inclusion is actually experienced by children and families. It helps teams identify existing strengths, recognise barriers to participation and develop targeted improvement strategies.
The toolkit includes a Practice Guide, self-assessment resources, professional learning modules, information sheets and an Inclusive Language Guide. It identifies six characteristics of inclusive services, including accessible environments, equitable partnerships, respect for children’s voices and a skilled, empowered workforce.
How services can use this during Social Inclusion Week: Directors could introduce the Practice Guide at a staff meeting, invite educators to undertake an inclusion self-assessment and identify one aspect of everyday practice requiring improvement. For example, educators might discover that although their service celebrates cultural diversity, children who communicate differently are not consistently supported to participate in group discussions.
The resulting improvement could involve introducing visual communication supports, adapting group experiences, providing educator coaching and consulting families about the strategies that work best for their children.
Importantly, the toolkit complements existing obligations rather than introducing additional regulatory requirements.
Access the free ACECQA resources:
- ACECQA – Inclusion Ready Toolkit
- Practice Guide, eLearning, information sheets and Inclusive Language Guide
- Australian Government – Inclusion in Early Childhood
Diversity Kids: Bringing Cultural Inclusion Into Everyday Practice
Another valuable resource for Social Inclusion Week is Diversity Kids.
Diversity Kids is an Australian multicultural consultancy specialising in cultural inclusion, children’s cultural and linguistic rights, bilingual support and culturally responsive early childhood programs. Its services include educator training, coaching, practical resources and tailored inclusion support.
Of particular relevance is its February 2026 article, “Belonging Matters – Practical Ways to Embed Belonging.” It encourages educators to make children’s identities visible, incorporate home languages into everyday routines, represent different family structures and cultural backgrounds through learning materials, and ensure children have meaningful opportunities to contribute to their learning environments.
This is particularly relevant to services where cultural inclusion is predominantly demonstrated through special celebrations rather than embedded across the year.
For example, a multicultural display created for Social Inclusion Week may provide a valuable starting point. However, deeper inclusion occurs when educators consistently pronounce children’s names correctly, use familiar words from their home languages, provide culturally representative resources, seek family perspectives and adapt routines to respect children’s individual experiences.
Useful Diversity Kids resources:
- Diversity Kids – Consultancy, Training and Resources
- Diversity Kids Blog – Including Belonging Matters (14 February 2026)
Educational Programming Ideas for Social Inclusion Week 2026
The following experiences can be adapted to reflect children’s ages, abilities, communication styles, cultural backgrounds and individual interests. Each experience is intended to extend beyond Social Inclusion Week and become part of ongoing educational programming.
Babies (0-2 years) Our Families, Our Connections
Learning focus: Identity, secure relationships, familiarity and belonging
Create a child-height family connection area featuring photographs of the important people in each baby’s life, with family permission. Educators can use the photographs during one-to-one interactions, naming familiar people, acknowledging relationships and incorporating words from children’s home languages.
Families can contribute familiar greetings, songs or comforting phrases. Educators can also include images representing the diverse families and communities within the service.
This experience supports babies to recognise familiar people, develop secure relationships and experience continuity between home and their education and care environment.
Resource: Diversity Kids – Belonging Matters: Practical Ways to Embed Belonging
Toddlers (2-3 years) Everyone Can Join In
Learning focus: Friendship, communication, cooperation and participation
Establish a collaborative sensory or construction experience where toddlers can participate in different ways. Some children may enjoy building, others may explore materials, observe, communicate through gestures or use visual supports to make choices.
Educators intentionally model inclusive language, help children recognise one another’s contributions and support peer interactions without requiring every child to participate in exactly the same way.
Reflect on whether children who communicate differently, require additional physical support or prefer quieter experiences can participate meaningfully.
Resource: ACECQA – Inclusion Ready Toolkit: Accessible Environments and Children’s Agency
3 Year Kindy (3-4 years) Our Friendship and Belonging Tree
Learning focus: Identity, empathy, relationships and diversity
Invite children to collaboratively create a Friendship and Belonging Tree. Each child contributes a leaf, photograph, drawing or other representation of something important to them, such as their family, culture, favourite activity, friendship or interest.
Educators facilitate conversations about similarities and differences, helping children understand that everyone has something valuable to contribute.
Children can participate through drawing, selecting photographs, using communication aids or sharing ideas verbally. The completed tree becomes an evolving representation of the group, with new contributions added throughout the year.
Resource: Diversity Kids – Ideas for Making Identity and Belonging Visible
4 Year Kindy (4-5 years) Everyone Has a Voice
Learning focus: Children’s rights, fairness, participation and decision-making
Facilitate a child-led discussion about what helps everyone feel welcome and included at kindy. Encourage children to consider questions such as: What happens when someone is left out? How can we help a friend join a game? What could we change so everyone can participate?
Children can work together to develop an inclusive classroom agreement using drawings, photographs, symbols or their own words.
Educators then support children to put their ideas into practice, such as redesigning a play space, introducing visual supports or creating quieter areas for children who need them.
Document children’s suggestions and revisit them to demonstrate how their voices have influenced decisions
Resource: ACECQA – Inclusion Ready Toolkit: Respecting Children’s Voices and Agency
Outside School Hours Care – Our Community Inclusion Project
Learning focus: Leadership, social responsibility, community participation and collaboration
Invite school-aged children to identify an area of their OSHC environment or local community where inclusion could be improved. Children might explore accessible playground equipment, language barriers, opportunities for older community members to connect with children, or how new children are welcomed into the service.
Working collaboratively, children select one achievable improvement project. This might involve developing a child-designed welcome guide, creating inclusive games, establishing a buddy system or working with a community organisation on a shared activity.
Educators support children to research ideas, seek different perspectives, plan actions and evaluate whether their project has made a difference.
This experience provides meaningful opportunities for children’s agency, community engagement and sustained social learning.
Resource: Social Inclusion Week Australia – Community Participation and Event Ideas
QIP write up
Quality Area 1 – Educational Program and Practice
Exceeding Theme 1 – Practice is embedded in service operations
Inclusive educational programming was consistently embedded across all learning environments, with educators intentionally adapting experiences to ensure every child could participate meaningfully. Children’s individual strengths, cultural identities, communication preferences and learning needs were reflected in planning, implementation and assessment. Educators demonstrated that inclusion was an ongoing element of the educational program rather than an isolated celebration.
Exceeding Theme 2 – Practice is informed by critical reflection
Educators critically reflected on children’s participation, engagement and access to learning experiences. These discussions identified potential barriers, including group routines, communication methods and assumptions about children’s capabilities. The team used ACECQA’s Inclusion Ready Toolkit to support professional discussions and inform changes to teaching strategies, ensuring that inclusive practices continued to evolve in response to children’s needs.
Exceeding Theme 3 – Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
Families contributed information about children’s cultural backgrounds, home languages, interests, abilities and individual support requirements. Educators incorporated this knowledge into educational planning and worked collaboratively with families and relevant professionals to strengthen children’s opportunities for participation, belonging and learning.
Quality Area 2 – Children’s Health and Safety
Exceeding Theme 1 – Practice is embedded in service operations
The service consistently implemented inclusive health, safety and wellbeing practices that recognised children’s individual physical, emotional, sensory and developmental needs. Educators adapted routines, transitions and learning environments to support children’s wellbeing while maintaining appropriate supervision and safety requirements. Individual health and support needs were respected without unnecessarily restricting children’s participation.
Exceeding Theme 2 – Practice is informed by critical reflection
The educator team critically examined whether existing health and safety practices unintentionally created barriers to participation. Reflections considered sensory environments, emotional safety, transitions, mealtimes and the accessibility of everyday routines. Identified improvements were incorporated into service procedures and educator practices to strengthen children’s wellbeing, dignity and inclusion.
Exceeding Theme 3 – Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
Families and relevant health or allied health professionals were consulted to develop responsive approaches to children’s individual needs. Information shared by families informed risk minimisation, wellbeing strategies and reasonable adjustments, supporting children’s safe and meaningful participation in everyday experiences.
Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment
Exceeding Theme 1 – Practice is embedded in service operations
Indoor and outdoor environments were intentionally arranged to support accessibility, independence and participation for all children. Educators provided flexible learning spaces, diverse resources, visual communication supports and opportunities for active and quiet engagement. The physical environment reflected the cultural identities, abilities and family structures of children attending the service.
Exceeding Theme 2 – Practice is informed by critical reflection
Educators regularly reviewed how children accessed and used learning environments, identifying physical, sensory and social barriers that could affect participation. Children’s engagement and feedback informed changes to room arrangements, equipment and resource selection. The team reflected on whether environments supported genuine independence and agency rather than simply providing access.
Exceeding Theme 3 – Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
Families and children contributed suggestions about environmental accessibility, cultural representation and learning resources. Educators also sought advice from relevant community organisations and professionals where appropriate. This collaborative approach ensured that environmental improvements reflected the needs and experiences of the service community.
Quality Area 4 – Staffing Arrangements
Exceeding Theme 1 – Practice is embedded in service operations
Inclusive practices were consistently supported through staffing arrangements, educator collaboration and shared professional responsibilities. Educators demonstrated respectful communication, worked collaboratively to support individual children and ensured that inclusive strategies were understood across the team, including by relief and newly appointed educators.
Exceeding Theme 2 – Practice is informed by critical reflection
Staff meetings and professional development opportunities incorporated critical reflection on inclusion, unconscious bias, cultural responsiveness and barriers to participation. Educators used ACECQA’s Inclusion Ready Toolkit to identify professional learning priorities and strengthen their confidence in adapting practices to support all children.
Exceeding Theme 3 – Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
The service drew on family knowledge, community expertise and specialist advice to strengthen educators’ inclusive capabilities. Collaborative discussions supported consistent approaches across the educator team and contributed to professional learning that reflected the diverse needs of children and families.
Quality Area 5 – Relationships with Children
Exceeding Theme 1 – Practice is embedded in service operations
Educators consistently fostered warm, respectful and responsive relationships that recognised each child’s individuality, cultural identity, abilities and communication preferences. Inclusive language, positive guidance and intentional support for friendships were embedded in everyday interactions. Children were encouraged to express their views, contribute to decisions and participate in relationships in ways that reflected their individual capabilities.
Exceeding Theme 2 – Practice is informed by critical reflection
Educators critically reflected on interactions, expectations and assumptions that could influence children’s sense of belonging. Observations and team discussions identified opportunities to strengthen peer relationships, respond to exclusion and ensure children who communicated differently were heard and respected. These reflections informed changes to educator approaches and group experiences.
Exceeding Theme 3 – Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
Families shared valuable insights into children’s relationships, cultural expectations, communication styles and emotional needs. Educators incorporated this knowledge into responsive relationship-building strategies and worked collaboratively with families to strengthen children’s confidence, social connections and sense of belonging.
Quality Area 6 – Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities
Exceeding Theme 1 – Practice is embedded in service operations
The service consistently promoted welcoming, accessible and respectful partnerships with families from diverse backgrounds. Communication methods were adapted to support different languages, literacy needs and family circumstances. Families were provided with meaningful opportunities to contribute to service decisions, educational programming and quality improvement.
Exceeding Theme 2 – Practice is informed by critical reflection
The service critically reviewed whether all families experienced genuine opportunities to participate in service life. Educators and leaders considered potential barriers, including communication methods, meeting times, cultural expectations and accessibility. Feedback informed improvements to family engagement strategies, ensuring partnerships became more equitable and responsive.
Exceeding Theme 3 – Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
Families and community organisations actively contributed to the service’s inclusive practices. Partnerships with cultural organisations, local community groups and relevant support services strengthened opportunities for children and families to develop meaningful connections. Community perspectives informed ongoing service improvements and supported a stronger sense of belonging.
Quality Area 7 – Governance and Leadership
Exceeding Theme 1 – Practice is embedded in service operations
The service’s commitment to inclusion was consistently reflected in its philosophy, policies, procedures, induction processes and leadership practices. Inclusive expectations were communicated across the educator team, and service leaders provided ongoing support to ensure that every child and family experienced equitable opportunities for participation.
Exceeding Theme 2 – Practice is informed by critical reflection
Service leaders used critical reflection, educator feedback and ACECQA’s Inclusion Ready Toolkit to evaluate the effectiveness of existing inclusion strategies. Identified priorities informed professional development, policy reviews and Quality Improvement Plan goals. Leadership decisions demonstrated an ongoing commitment to strengthening inclusive practice through evidence-informed improvement.
Exceeding Theme 3 – Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community
The approved provider and service leadership actively sought perspectives from children, families, educators and community partners when reviewing inclusion priorities. These contributions informed strategic planning, resource allocation and service improvements, ensuring that inclusion remained a shared responsibility across the service community.
Useful Links and Resources
The following resources support directors, educational leaders and educators to extend Social Inclusion Week into everyday practice.
| Resource | How it can support your service |
| ACECQA – Inclusion Ready Toolkit | New professional learning, self-assessment and practical guidance for inclusive practice |
| ACECQA – Practice Guide and Inclusive Language Guide | Supports educators to examine accessibility, respectful language, children’s agency and equitable partnerships |
| Australian Government – Inclusion in Early Childhood | Explains inclusion obligations, practical supports and the Inclusion Support Program |
| Diversity Kids | Cultural inclusion resources, bilingual support, consultancy and professional development |
| Diversity Kids – Blog | Practical ideas for strengthening belonging, family representation and cultural responsiveness |
| Social Inclusion Week Australia | Background, campaign information and inspiration for community participation |
How BEST Childcare Consulting Can Support Your Service
At BEST Childcare Consulting, we understand that creating genuinely inclusive environments involves much more than updating policies or adding diversity resources to learning spaces. It requires educators to understand what inclusion looks like in everyday practice, recognise barriers to participation and feel confident adapting their approaches to support individual children and families.
We can support services through tailored professional development, critical reflection sessions, mentoring, practical educator coaching and Quality Improvement Plan development across all seven Quality Areas.
Our approach focuses on bringing policies and professional learning out of the cupboard and onto the floor, helping educators demonstrate inclusive practice through their interactions, educational programming, environments and relationships with children and families.
With ACECQA’s new Inclusion Ready Toolkit now available, this is an ideal opportunity for services to review their existing practices and identify meaningful improvements that strengthen both inclusion and overall service quality.
As always, use these inspirations to lead your service throughout the whole year in your everyday practices to truly earn an exceeding rating.
Contact us TODAY.
