Australia’s care and support economy is entering an important stage of development. Aged care, disability support, early childhood education and care, veterans’ care, mental health and community services often support the same people at different points in their lives. Yet these sectors do not always communicate or work together effectively.
The challenge is not necessarily to merge every service into one large system. It is to create stronger connections between sectors so people can receive continuous, person-centred care without repeatedly navigating disconnected departments, funding arrangements and assessment processes.
In a recent conversation hosted by Dev Singh, researcher Irene explored how Australia’s care economy has developed, why integration matters and what the country can learn from international approaches.
What Is Australia’s Care and Support Economy?
Australia’s care and support economy includes services that help people maintain their health, independence, safety and quality of life. The Australian Government’s strategy has focused primarily on:
- Aged care
- Disability support
- Early childhood education and care
- Veterans’ care
These sectors are usually discussed separately, but people’s lives do not fit neatly within government departments.
An older person may need aged care, primary healthcare and mental health support. A veteran may require disability services, mental health care and aged care at different stages of life. A family may interact with childcare, disability services, Centrelink and other community support systems at the same time.
This is why stronger care sector integration is becoming increasingly important.
Integration Does Not Mean Creating One Large Care System
Care sector integration does not necessarily mean combining aged care, the NDIS, childcare and veterans’ care into one system.
Instead, the goal should be to build meaningful links between them. Services need to communicate more effectively, recognise shared needs and reduce the administrative burden placed on individuals and families.
When systems operate separately, people may have to provide the same information several times, undergo multiple assessments or contact different departments for related support. This duplication can delay care and make an already complex situation even harder.
Effective integration should help people receive more continuous care throughout their lives.
Why Duplication Remains a Major Problem
One of the biggest weaknesses in Australia’s care economy is duplication.
Different programs may have similar quality standards, safeguarding requirements, workforce regulations and reporting processes. However, each sector can still operate within its own administrative structure.
This creates unnecessary complexity for service providers, workers and the people receiving care.
A more connected system could align common areas such as:
- Workforce regulation and training
- Quality and safeguarding standards
- Information sharing
- Service assessments
- Funding access
- Care planning and referrals
Better alignment could reduce repeated work while still protecting the individual purpose and expertise of each care sector.
Australia’s Care and Support Economy Strategy
The establishment of the Care and Support Economy Taskforce reflected growing recognition that care is both a vital social responsibility and an important economic opportunity.
The Productivity Commission has also contributed research and analysis on the future of Australia’s care workforce, productivity, service delivery and investment.
The policy direction has now moved towards implementation. The key question is how the strategy will translate into practical improvements for workers, service providers, families and people receiving support.
A successful strategy must go beyond identifying common challenges. It needs clear accountability, practical implementation plans and measurable outcomes.
What Can Australia Learn From Southeast Asia?
Several Southeast Asian and ASEAN countries have made significant investments in their care economies. In some cases, governments have supported stronger public-private partnerships and committed more policy attention and resources to developing care infrastructure.
Australia has a well-established care system, but it can still learn from countries that treat care as a long-term economic and social investment.
Public-private partnerships may help governments, businesses, universities, community organisations and care providers develop new workforce models, digital systems and service delivery solutions.
However, any partnership must remain focused on better outcomes for people, not simply greater efficiency.
Can One Ministerial Portfolio Improve Coordination?
Health, disability and ageing sitting within connected government portfolios may create an opportunity for better coordination.
This structure can make it easier to identify shared priorities and align policies across sectors. It may also support more consistent approaches to quality, safeguarding, workforce development and service access.
However, placing related sectors within one portfolio will not automatically solve fragmentation.
Leadership, accountability and communication are still essential. Australia also needs a clear body or mechanism that can look across the entire care economy rather than viewing each sector in isolation.
Funding Will Remain a Complex Challenge
Even when there is agreement about integration, funding remains difficult to navigate.
Australia’s care services are supported through different funding programs, eligibility requirements and levels of government. People may qualify for one service but struggle to access another closely related form of support.
Integration must therefore address two separate challenges:
- How governments fund care services
- How people understand and access that funding
A well-designed care economy should make support easier to navigate. People should not need detailed knowledge of government structures to receive the care they need.
Building Continuous, Person-Centred Care
The real measure of care sector reform is whether it improves people’s everyday experiences.
A connected care system should follow the person across different stages of life. It should recognise that health, disability, ageing, family circumstances and mental wellbeing are often interconnected.
Continuous care can reduce service gaps, improve early intervention and help people remain supported during major life transitions.
The goal should not be integration for its own sake. It should be a system that is simpler, fairer and more responsive to the people who rely on it.
Moving From Policy to Practical Action
Australia has recognised the importance of the care and support economy. The next step is turning policy into practical action.
That will require collaboration between government, care providers, researchers, businesses, workers and people with lived experience. It will also require investment in workforce development, technology, infrastructure and service innovation.
Most importantly, people receiving care must remain at the centre of every decision.
Australia does not necessarily need one care system. It needs connected systems that communicate, collaborate and support people throughout their lives.
Attend the National Care Sectors Conference on 28 August 2026
These important questions will continue at the National Care Sectors Conference: NDIS, Aged Care & Childcare on 28 August 2026.
Join us for a moving and inspiring day of conversation about the future of Australia’s care sectors. The conference will bring together leaders, professionals, providers and changemakers to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the NDIS, aged care and childcare.
Book your place and be part of a national conversation about creating more connected, sustainable and person-centred care.