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The Access For Every Child Coalition, a group of over 70 organisations led by The Parenthood, is calling on the Opposition to commit to concrete solutions for regional, rural and remote families struggling with limited or no access to early learning services.
Almost every regional Australian community is classified as a childcare desert – areas with little to no access to early learning services [1].
This dire lack of childcare services is holding regional Australia back, with many children missing out on vital early learning, and starting school behind their urban peers.
Parents in regional Australia are having to make impossible choices when they need to work to meet the rising cost of living but cannot get care for their children.
Regional communities are losing essential workers like doctors, nurses and teachers as families make the difficult decision to move to areas with better childcare access or parents don’t step back into the workforce.
With the federal election mere weeks away, regional communities still don't know if the Opposition supports the Federal Government's $1 billion Building Early Education Fund, which will build or expand over 160 early learning centres in areas of childcare scarcity, or if they have alternative proposals.
Coalition MPs have said that they recognise the problem of childcare deserts in regional Australia but have yet to outline any specific policies to address it.
While Nationals leader David Littleproud said last year that making childcare more accessible in the regions would be "at the heart" of the Nationals' election platform [2], and Shadow Minister Angie Bell has toured regional communities to hear directly from parents about childcare shortages[3], no national policy commitments have been made.
Read the open letter here.
Quotes attributable to Maddy Butler, Convenor of the Access For Every Child Coalition and Campaign Director of The Parenthood:
"This issue is too important to be partisan. Regional, rural and remote families deserve to know what the Liberal-National Coalition's plans are to improve childcare access.
"The lack of childcare and early learning services is worsening the gap between regional and metropolitan communities – and we need comprehensive policies to help address this issue.
"The election is now less than a month away, and regional parents still have no clarity on the Opposition's childcare policies.
"Access to childcare services has been a key issue for regional communities for years now, and the Opposition has had ample time to present their plans to address these concerns.
"However, regional voters have disappointingly been left hanging until the very end.
"We urge the Liberal-National Coalition to reveal their childcare and early learning policies so that when regional voters head to the polls, they know where the parties and candidates stand on the issues that matter to them."
Quotes attributable to David Jochinke, President of the National Farmers’ Federation:
“Access to early learning and childcare is a necessity for farming families.
“Without it, rural parents sacrifice their children’s education, farm’s productivity, their family’s financial security, and their own career progression.
“It’s no exaggeration to say a lack of childcare is holding entire communities back.
“We’re calling on the nation’s political parties to voice their support for the Federal Government’s Building Early Education Fund before the election.
“Building childcare centres alone won’t fix this problem, but it’s a major step in the right direction for regional families.”
Quotes attributable to Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC (national First Nations children’s peak):
“Closing the Gap starts with our children. That means ensuring they have access to culturally safe early education and care services so they can thrive.
“Access to childcare places in regional and remote areas where many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families live is a significant factor in early learning and family support.
“Evidence shows when our children access Aboriginal community-controlled early education services, our families and children are more likely to grow up strong in culture and identity before they transition to big school.”
Quotes attributable to the Independent Education Union
“The federal government’s guarantee of three days of early childhood education and care is a major step towards a more accessible and affordable system.
“The federal government’s separate commitment to a $1 billion Building Early Education Fund, focused on not-for-profit services, is a vital reform designed to deliver education to children from First Nations, regional and remote areas and families with less capacity to pay.
“Early childhood education and care is an essential part of the continuum of education, and far too important to be left to a postcode lottery.
“The Independent Education Union supports measures which guarantee equitable access to high quality affordable child care provided by qualified teachers and educators, and joins the Access For Every Child Coalition in seeking a policy commitment from the Coalition that will address childcare deserts.”
Quotes attributable to Cr Ben Blain, Chair of the Southwest Victoria Alliance:
“South west Victoria is in the middle of a childcare access crisis.
“That's why the SouthWest Victoria Alliance is backing the Access for Every Child Coalition.
“We need the Federal Government to deliver on accessible, affordable, inclusive and high-quality early education for all kids, including in regional areas.
“We also need the Commonwealth to contribute $5 million to build an Early Learning Centre of Excellence at Deakin University in Warrnambool to train the next generation of educators. Because we know that if we train early education workers locally, they will work locally.”
[1] Victoria University - 700,000 Australians still without childcare access
[2] David Littleproud MP – Address to the Regional Australia Institute Summit 2024
[3] Angie Bell MP and Anne Webster MP - Mallee mothers share with Shadow Minister their hardships in childcare deserts
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