The Parenthood has welcomed the South Australian Government’s commitment to expand preschool access to all 3 and 4-year-old children across the state.
Chief Executive Officer of The Parenthood, Georgie Dent said that by expanding access to high-quality early childhood education and care, the South Australian Government will enable thousands more children to get the best possible start in life and start school ready to learn.
“We congratulate the South Australian Government and Premier Malinauskas for their leadership and for taking necessary steps to make quality early childhood education and care more accessible and affordable for all families and children across the state.
“The first five years of a child’s life are the most important for their cognitive development, and evidence shows that access to high-quality learning during this time can set them up for life-long success.
“Expanding preschool access to include all three and four-year-old children will help ensure that every young South Australian child, regardless of their circumstances, can access the benefits of high-quality early learning.
“It will also enable primary carers across the state, who are predominantly women, to re-enter the workforce should they choose to, giving a boost to women’s workforce participation rates.
“We are also pleased to see that the state government has rightfully recognised the vital role played by early childhood educators in helping successfully deliver these reforms.”
The South Australian Government has committed $96 million over the next four years to strengthen and grow the state’s early childhood education workforce.
“No attempts at making early learning more accessible can be fruitful without ensuring that we have a strong, resilient and well-supported workforce. These reforms will be transformational for South Australian families and children and we look forward to working with the state government as they roll them out,” Ms Dent said.
