One quarter of Australian children are identified as "developmentally vulnerable" when they start school, according to a 2024 report. This means many children lack the self-regulation, thinking, language, resilience, and social skills needed for learning and getting along with their peers. Without early intervention, problems with brain development and antisocial behavior can become entrenched and have a lasting impact. Research based in Australian child care centers shows that intensive, high-quality education and care can help children catch up. A program designed in 2009 for Australian children living with significant social disadvantage and exposure to trauma, abuse, or neglect has been replicated and tested in various locations. The program involves children attending for five hours a day, five days a week, for three years, with no cost to families. It is currently being run at three sites in partnership with three child care providers in Victoria and Queensland, with 108 children participating. The program includes nourishing, homemade food for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack every day. Learning is individualized to meet children's interests and abilities, with purposefully designed indoor and outdoor play spaces and equipment. Families receive wraparound support without judgment from the staff team. Educators are supported by an expert team that includes early childhood education leaders, infant mental health specialists, and social workers who work with families with complex needs. Children's outcomes are assessed independently after one and two years by qualified clinical researchers. A recent evaluation of the program shows that after one year, children saw an average increase of 11.6 points in scores for resilience, capacity for self-regulation, and capacity to form attachments with others (according to a standard scale). Children also showed a 7.2-point increase in language development and a 4.6-point increase in IQ. In 2022, a randomized controlled trial of the model tracked 72 children who had participated in the program and compared their development outcomes with those of 73 children with similar backgrounds who participated in a mix of parental care and usual early education programs. The differences in outcomes between the two cohorts indicate that intensive, targeted programs are highly beneficial for children living with significant family stress and disadvantage. Improved language outcomes were found after three years' participation compared with children who had not been in the program. The outcomes from a 2026 evaluation are particularly noteworthy because the children entered the program with more family risk factors than the original group studied. The research suggests that targeted, intensive programs in the early education and care system can make a significant difference to children's life trajectories. The study also indicates that families and children are living with increasingly complex and heightened levels of risk and hardship, and that additional targeted funding is needed to support multidisciplinary, experienced, and qualified leaders and educators in early learning services.