In October 2023, the Foundation awarded Children's Ground a capacity-building grant of $1 million.

This multi-year core funding support will enable Children’s Ground to expand its model of education, employment pathways and wellbeing for Aboriginal children and their families to 14 communities across three regions.

Children’s Ground has an ambitious 25-year agenda to create education and employment pathways and improve the wellbeing of Aboriginal children and their families.

The Foundation has had consistent engagement with Children’s Ground for almost 10 years and the outcomes of the program have been excellent. Since 2014, 822 children aged 0–8 have been involved in Children’s Ground early years learning.

Established in 2013, Children’s Ground has developed a proof of concept and operations in two regions. Evidence indicates that the foundations for long-term change are being established and shows impact that existing government programs have been unable to achieve in the areas of early childhood engagement and employment within these communities.

Children’s Ground has a strong whole-of-community approach, where early childhood education is now the norm. The engagement of parents in providing early years education fosters environments of safety and wellbeing, and ensures the protection and promotion of culture and language. Eighty per cent of Children’s Ground staff are Indigenous, so employment outcomes as well as educational outcomes are being achieved.

The Ian Potter Foundation is actively working with a growing group of committed funders to ensure Children’s Ground achieves financial sustainability, including ongoing government funding in the near future.

This grant follows three previous grants from 2014 to 2020 totalling $700,000.