The AEDC provides us with important information about how our youngest citizens are tracking and offers us a basis for where to direct our attention and interventions. One of the most telling findings that has emerged from these data is the impact of vulnerability and disadvantage on learning poverty. The early childhood system has increasingly been positioned as a potential equaliser and as a lever for improving children’s outcomes, particularly in education, and lifting them out of disadvantage. Findings from large scale systematic reviews in both high-income and low- to middle-income countries show the benefits of high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) are stronger for more disadvantaged children. Moreover, our returns to investments in early childhood are largest when they are targeted to children in households where quality is lower. So, as we move towards universal ECEC provision, approaches to scale should initially prioritise our most vulnerable populations. The following presentation explores elements key to the transformation of the Early Childhood Development system in relation to ECEC. We identify areas for prioritisation across health- and education-quality processes, workforce development, use of assessment and measurement, and the development of strong continuities with shared language and values. We also ask how interactions between these components and processes can bring about stable and sustainable improvements most effectively. We conclude by providing some reflection on the AEDC in relation to the Brighter Beginnings initiative and considerations for the future.