CHILDCARE: ADVOCATES CALL ON OPPOSITION TO REVEAL POLICIES FOLLOWING VOTE AGAINST REFORM

As the federal election looms, early childhood advocates are calling on the Federal Opposition to reveal their early learning and childcare policies.

The Parenthood CEO Georgie Dent said that while the Opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the Federal Government’s childcare reforms, it has yet to put forward its policies to make quality early childhood education and care more accessible and affordable for Australian families.

“The Opposition has rightly acknowledged that too many families – particularly those in regional and rural areas – are suffering from a lack of childcare and early learning places.

“We’re potentially mere weeks away from the federal election, and families need to know what the Opposition’s plans are for making early learning more affordable and accessible.

“Parents and educators deserve to know whether the Opposition, if in government, would reverse key gains such as the 15 per cent pay rise for educators and the guarantee of three days a week of subsidised early childhood education and care,” Ms Dent said.

The Opposition has unanimously voted against key reforms, including:

• Guaranteeing Australian children and families three days of subsidised early learning per week [1]

• Abolishing the ‘Activity Test’: a punitive policy measure that prevented 126,000 children, mostly from vulnerable families, from accessing early learning [2]

• Delivering a 15 per cent wage increase for early childhood educators, some of the lowest-paid workers in the country. [3]

The Opposition has yet to confirm whether it supports the Federal Government’s $1 billion Building Early Childhood Education Fund, which will build or upgrade over 160 early learning centres, mostly in regional and rural Australia, or a similar initiative [4].

“Opposition MPs, including Shadow Minister for Early Education Angie Bell, have rightly highlighted the lack of early learning services in rural areas [5],” Ms Dent said.

“Former Education Minister Dan Tehan stated that he and his colleagues voted against a wage increase for early educators because it would do nothing to improve regional childcare access [6].

“This overlooks the fact that improving pay for educators is critical to improving the workforce shortages that are contributing to childcare access issues in regional, rural and remote areas.

“And the Opposition hasn’t offered an alternative solution or plan.

“They haven’t said whether they support the government’s $1 billion fund to build new childcare centres in these areas, and they haven’t proposed an alternative plan.

“The leader of the Nationals Mr David Littleproud MP said last year that childcare would be 'at the heart' of the Nationals' election platform but we are yet to learn what their policies will be [7],” Ms Dent said.

Ms Dent also pointed to comments from Shadow Minister Bell, who claimed the Government’s recent reforms were “at war with aspirational Australian families” [8].

“It’s an odd statement because it suggests that single mothers, First Nations families, and low-income households - those who would benefit most from these reforms - aren’t aspirational,” Ms Dent said.

“It fails to acknowledge that not being able to access or afford appropriate childcare systematically limits the choices and aspirations of too many parents, but most particularly mothers.  

“Australian families - parents and children - deserve better. They deserve real action to make quality early childhood education and care more accessible and affordable.

“We know that childcare costs are one of the biggest cost-of-living pressures for families with young children.

“The Opposition says it wants to deliver cost-of-living relief, but it has no policies to bring down early learning costs.

“It says it wants to increase access in regional and rural Australia, but it hasn’t explained how.

“If the Opposition is serious about helping Australian families, it’s time to present a plan,” Ms Dent said.

[1] Minister for Education – Childcare 3 Day Guarantee

[2] Impact Policy and Economics – Activity Test Report

[3] Minister for Early Childhood Education – Pay rises for Early Educators

[4] Australian Labor – Next steps in building a universal early education system

[5] Angie Bell MP & Anne Webster MP - Mallee mothers share with Shadow Minister their hardships in childcare deserts

[6] Dan Tehan MP – Childcare drought in regional and rural Australia

[7] David Littleproud MP – Address to the Regional Australia Institute Summit 2024

[8] Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education – Labor’s childcare guarantee