Australia's peak body for social services has released its community services election policy. It is calling on all parties to properly resource community services, and build a policy framework that ensures those services are high quality.

It makes 17 recommendations under these policy proposal themes:

• Redesign community service delivery to put community control and development at the heart of design
• Put people and communities using services at the centre of how services are planned and delivered
• Restore and improve funding for community services
• Improve access to early childhood education and care
• Ensure equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in their early years
• Properly index all grants and contracts across the community sector
• Prevent cuts to existing community services by maintaining proper funding to pay fair wages
• Restore and lift funding for peak bodies and advocacy organisations so that marginalised voices are heard in public policy debate
• Improve funding transition processes to reduce uncertainty and disruption
• Commit to fund and support advocacy by the representatives of people and communities experiencing poverty and disadvantage as a legitimate part of national public debate
• Increase the duration of standard contracts for community sector funding
• Increase community sector participation in decision-making, policy development and governance structures
• Reform outdated fundraising laws and regulation
• Amend the ACNC’s governing legislation to improve its operation
• Establish an Evaluator General to oversee the evaluation and monitoring of government programs