Monday 2 December
The Albanese Government is strongly considering taking a universal fixed-fee early childhood education and care model to the Federal Election, according to recent reports.
The Parenthood, who have been campaigning for universal early learning and childcare to ease cost of living and cost of working pressures on families for years, wholeheartedly welcomes the news.
Recent estimates found a $10-a-day flat fee could enable up to 226,000 extra children to attend early learning and increase women’s workforce participation by up to 134,000 full-time-equivalent workers.
Polling by Essential in October also found that 71 per cent of parents support a fixed-fee early childhood education and care model.
“The Albanese Government has again signalled their seriousness about delivering a fixed-fee universal early childhood education and care model, and the potential impact of that for household budgets, children’s development, gender equity and Australia’s nationwide productivity cannot be underestimated,” said The Parenthood’s CEO, Georgie Dent.
“We now need to see all parties and candidates step up and commit to a universal fixed-fee early childhood education and care model ahead of the next Federal Election.
“We know this will deliver for children, parents and communities. A fixed-fee model would deliver immediate and significant cost savings for childcare - which for many families is akin to a second mortgage - and alleviate the ‘cost-of-working’ crisis crippling many parents.
The ‘cost of working crisis’ refers to the predicament that many parents, especially mothers, with young children find themselves in, in which the cost of childcare actually cancels out the financial incentive to work.
“Alleviating the financial burdens caused by the high costs of early childhood education and care will be crucial to parents’ votes.
“We welcome this news from Labor and urge all parties to commit to a fixed-fee universal early childhood education and care model ahead of the upcoming Federal Election,” said Ms Dent.
