The Parenthood has provided a Pre-Budget Submission to the Australian Treasury for the 2022-2023 Federal Budget.
Australia must develop interventions to address the growing disparities in child
health and wellbeing due to the pandemic, and invest in social infrastructure that
supports parents and carers to help ensure every child is nurtured to reach their full
potential.
For children to thrive and lead happy, healthy and productive lives, they need
support, and so do their parents and carers. Children fare best when they are well
nourished, responsively cared for, have access to learning opportunities from birth
onwards and are protected from disease, violence and stress.
Successful early childhood development policies focus on equipping families with the time, resources, knowledge, and skills to provide nurturing care.
Investing in children and their caregivers represents an investment in human capital and potential that benefits everyone and can create intergenerational change.
Prioritising support for children and parents, particularly mothers, represents a
critical investment in Australia’s COVID recovery and future. Pursuing world-leading
parenting policies is a compelling opportunity to transform Australia for the better
and yield rich rewards for children, women, families, communities and the economy.
The Parenthood’s primary recommendations are:
Recommendation 1: Increase statutory Paid Parental Leave (PPL) for parents and carers to 52 weeks at full pay with super to be shared.
Recommendation 2: Make quality inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) universally accessible to all families and children.
Recommendation 3: Protect children from poverty.
Recommendation 4: Commit to reducing gender inequality.
Recommendation 5: Support parents and caregivers through family inclusive workplace policies.
You can download The Parenthood's Budget Submission here.
For more information about the contents of this submission please contact:
Georgie Dent
Executive Director, The Parenthood
[email protected]
