Early Home Learning Environment Network

Why it matters

The everyday learning experiences at home strongly influence children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development.

While Australia has pockets of strong practice, the supports that help families nurture a rich home learning environment are often uneven and disconnected.

A primary goal of the EHLE Network is to bring together what we know, identify what works, and support the scaling of effective approaches, particularly for families facing disadvantage. Together, we can build a more connected and impactful approach to early home learning across Australia.

What we are doing now

This year, the focus is on building a shared knowledge base to support long-term collaboration across sectors, communities, researchers, and practitioners.

We will:

• Build an accessible evidence base on effective and scalable EHLE approaches
• Map programs, tools, community-led initiatives and gaps across Australia
• Engage organisations and practitioners to ensure the Network reflects lived experience and practice wisdom
• Co-develop a shared national strategy for collective action and system-level impact.

This will lay the groundwork for a coordinated, visible, and sustainable early home-learning ecosystem.

Invitation to participate

If you or your organisation supports parents and caregivers in strengthening everyday learning opportunities at home, we invite you to express your interest in participating in the early stages of setting up the EHLE Network. Participation is free, voluntary and grounded in transparency and respect.

Participation may involve completing a short mapping survey, providing additional program information, reviewing a draft profile, and contributing to strategy conversations. All information is handled with care, and participants can opt out at any time.

By being part of this early groundwork, organisations gain access to emerging evidence and sector insights, increased visibility, peer connections, and a collaboratively developed program profile to support planning, partnerships, and advocacy.