PARENTING ADVOCATES CELEBRATE NEW LABOR GOVERNMENT’S UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE VISION

Early childhood education campaigners across the country are celebrating as Anthony Albanese – who has declared he wants universal childcare to be his legacy – has been re-elected as Australia’s Prime Minister.  

Australia’s leading parenting advocacy organisation, The Parenthood, express their enthusiasm to work with Labor to make high quality early childhood education and care affordable and accessible for every child and family in Australia. 

As a first priority, they are calling on the Federal Government to introduce a $10 a day cap on childcare fees, which have continually outpaced inflation and raised the cost of living for parents by 27 per cent in the three years to December 2024. 

The Parenthood CEO Georgie Dent described Mr Albanese’s election as a win for children, parents, educators and families, and a relief for the early learning sector, for whom a change in government could have undone positive progress. 

“Early childhood education and care was a key focus of Labor’s election campaign and it has clearly resonated with voters,” said Ms Dent. 

Labor have already made the following commitments for early education and childcare:

• Invest $1 billion into expanding childcare services in unserved and underserved communities, including regional, rural and remote Australia,
• Guarantee access to three days of early childhood education and care for every child, regardless of their parents’ income or activity, 
• Increase early educator wages by 15 per cent, (partially in place)
• Make qualifying as an early childhood educator more accessible (partially in place). 

“The obvious next step is to introduce a $10 a day cap on childcare fees, and make it free for low income families. This is a move that parents and experts have long been crying out for, and the Prime Minister has indicated he is open to.  

“Making early childhood education and care universally affordable and accessible will not only help with the cost of living, but will close inequitable educational gaps among children that cement disadvantage at school and into adulthood. 

“We are at a crucial moment in time in which we can collaborate with the Government to ensure these policies are rolled out in a way that genuinely meets the needs of the communities they are designed to serve. 

“A universal early learning system that prioritises the needs of children and families first and foremost can only be achieved with strong teamwork between Government, parents, communities and their advocates. 

“We look forward to working with the Government to make this happen and congratulate Labor for the huge progress they have already made for Australia’s children, parents – particularly mothers – and early childhood educators,” said Ms Dent.