Prior to 1972, long day care was provided by a mix of philanthropic and private organisations, having evolved separately to preschools (which were not considered to meet the needs of working mothers because of their shorter days). This created the ‘care’ and ‘education’ split that continues in many forms to this day.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the Commonwealth government’s roles and responsibilities in early childhood education and care (ECEC), focussing on the last fifty years in preschool and long day care.

It is not an exhaustive account of all actions or policy changes, but attempts to paint a broad picture of how the Commonwealth’s role and involvement have changed over time. It considers the Commonwealth’s role in five thematic areas—affordability and funding; provision planning and access; workforce support; quality and regulation; and preschool programs. It also briefly considers some targeted arrangements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and concludes with some overall observations on changes over the period examined. It does not consider State and Territory or local government roles or policies, except where directly relevant.