FEDERAL BUDGET RESPONSE: TREASURER’S $5 BILLION DOWN-PAYMENT ON UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE

Tonight’s Federal Budget doubles down on the Albanese government’s commitment to deliver universal early childhood education and care, says The Parenthood. 

The Budget includes a $5 Billion down-payment to build a system which ensures “every child is guaranteed access to at least three days a week of quality early childhood education and care, which is simple and affordable for every family”.

 “This represents unprecedented structural reform in the realm of childcare policy in Australia,” The Parenthood CEO Georgie Dent said. “Investing $3.6 billion to lift the wages of early childhood educators, $1 billion to build early learning services in areas where they are needed most and $426 million for the new 3 Day Guarantee, will benefit millions of children, educators and parents – and pay rich social and economic dividends now and in the future.”

 “This budget lays strong foundations to pursue the next frontier of reforms necessary to deliver truly universal quality, inclusive early childhood education and care for every child, regardless of their postcode or circumstances. 

 To address affordability, drive quality and strengthen oversight and regulatory enforcement we are calling for:

● Reforming the current funding model, which currently subsidises for-profit providers while allowing them to charge exorbitant fees, and replacing it with a daily fee cap of $10 a day;

● Establishing a new, jointly governed national body to provide assertive and consistent leadership and regulation across the sector, particularly around quality standards, unscrupulous providers and child protection.

● Invest in inclusion and continue investing in the workforce.