A quarter of pre-school-aged children in some mortgage-belt electorates are missing out on early learning despite the presence of high quality centres nearby, new analysis shows.
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The findings come as a group of early learning advocates, service providers and children's advocates say recent changes to the activity test won't fully address the disadvantage and system complexity halting kids' entry to early learning.
Census analysis by Uniting shows Education Minister Jason Clare's southwest Sydney seat of Blaxland has more than 1500 four and five-year-olds missing pre-school and schooling, or 27.4 per cent.
Another 3900 children are missing out across the southeast Queensland seats of Forde, Wright and Rankin - the latter held by Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
Nationwide, about 100,000 - or one in six - kids in the age group are not in preschool or school.
The analysis of 2021 census data highlights the top 10 federal electorates most suitable for positive impact from an early learning navigator program.
The program helps domestic violence survivors, migrants and other vulnerable communities navigate the early childhood education space to ensure children do not miss out.
Efaq Eva Mohammed knows the battle to enrol in early learning.
She emigrated to Australia from Yemen in 2023 seeking a better life for her five kids, including son Ali.
"I didn't know where I could go - I knocked on a lot of doors but they were, like the wrong door or the wrong way," she told AAP.
"I hold a PhD but in those first months, I didn't know the system, everything was new for me."
After five months on her own, she was put onto a linker program which "opened my eyes" to how to find the best centre for Ali, apply for government subsidies and get his vaccinations up to date.
Now four, Ali attends every weekday and has a ball doing so.
"He's very nice and kind ... he says 'have a lovely day' - I like it," Dr Mohammed says.
"That's a real celebration for us," Uniting Links to Early Learning southwest Sydney program co-ordinator Susie Wilkins told AAP.
"Research tells us 600 hours before a child starts school of quality early learning is enough to make an impact on being prepared for that school transition and that lifelong love of learning."
She said vulnerable families needed the advocacy and support, particularly when battling competing priorities like housing, food security or health concerns.
"Without the linker program supporting the journey, it's just not going to happen," she said.
Families advocate Georgie Dent said equity in participation in high-quality early learning was the most powerful lever to arrest disadvantage and inequity.
"No child should be denied the life-changing opportunity to participate in high quality early childhood education and care," the chief executive of The Parenthood said.
Mr Clare said government reforms aim to build a universal early education system to support children who need it the most.
"The sort of children who, because of no fault of their own, start school behind most of their classmates, because their parents don't meet the requirements of something called the activity test, put in place by the last Liberal government," he said."The legislation (the government) passed a few weeks ago gets rid of that test and replaces it with a three-day guarantee. A guarantee of three days a week of government supported early education and care for every child who needs it."
The coalition criticised changes to the activity test while saying it had long raised concerns about access to quality early childhood education.
"That's why the coalition is focused on giving families choice, flexibility, and affordable quality early childhood education. Crucially, we will make sure that regional communities aren't left out," opposition early learning spokeswoman Angie Bell said.
TOP 10 ELECTORATES BASED ON UNITING ANALYSIS
(Electorate, Four and five-year-olds not in early learning or primary school, percentage of electorate, Local MP)
Blaxland (NSW), 1550, 27.40 per cent, Jason Clare
Rankin (Qld), 1528, 27.00 per cent, Jim Chalmers
Forde (Qld), 1379, 24.30 per cent, Bert van Manen
Chifley (NSW), 1376, 23.90 per cent, Ed Husic
Lalor (Vic), 1358, 21.40 per cent, Joanne Ryan
Blair (Qld), 1321, 24.00 per cent, Shayne Neumann
Werriwa (NSW), 1093, 21.80 per cent, Anne Stanley
Fowler (NSW), 1051, 25.30 per cent, Dai Le
Wright (Qld), 1040, 21.40 per cent, Scott Buchholz
Parramatta (NSW), 1011, 16.90 per cent, Andrew Charlton
Australian Associated Press