Thursday 12 December 2024
Comments from the Opposition suggesting that parents want affordable, accessible childcare so they can play golf or do pilates are unhelpful and fail to match parents’ realities, advocacy group The Parenthood says.
“Not being able to access or afford early childhood education and care is a major financial pain point for Australian families with children under 5,” The Parenthood CEO Georgie Dent said. “Paid work is not a choice for the vast majority of parents around the country grappling with a cost of living crisis: it’s a necessity. But without access to suitable early learning and care, working is impossible.”
Yesterday the Federal Government announced they would build or expand 160 early learning services in areas where they are needed most.
“Addressing childcare deserts in outer suburban, regional and rural areas isn’t an indulgence: it’s a necessary lifeline for children, parents, employers, essential services and local communities,” Ms Dent said. “The steep cost to communities and employers from lack of access to early learning is why over 60 organisations have joined The Parenthood’s Access for Every Child coalition over the last two years.”
The Federal government has also committed to remove the requirement that parents have to be employed in order to qualify for subsidised childcare, known as the “Activity Test”.
“Scrapping the Activity Test has been called for by the Productivity Commission, the ACCC, the Women’s Economic Empowerment Taskforce, the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee, Chief Executive Women as well as countless NGOs, economists and children's experts.
“It is a barrier that disproportionately locks out children who stand to benefit the most from participating in quality early childhood education and care.
“The evidence shows the main people who will benefit from scrapping the Activity Test are single mothers and their children, First Nations families and casual and shift workers.
“For a single mum who doesn't have regular work, the current system traps them in a catch 22. They can't take a job or a shift until they have secured childcare, but they can't pay for childcare until they have a job.
“Most families at the upper end of the income band already get subsidised childcare, so this won't impact them.
“What this change does is give children access to the life-changing benefits of early childhood education, no matter their parents' circumstances, and gives parents the certainty and security they need to get back into work.
“There are 82,000 parents and carers in The Parenthood community and we have never heard from a single parent whose concern is not getting to golf or pilates in the middle of the day.
“The parents in our community are desperate for solutions to a problem that is central to their children' s wellbeing and their economic security,” Ms Dent said.
Ms Dent said the Opposition should put forward their own early years policy.
“The Opposition understands the cost of living pressure on households so they must understand the scale and urgency of solving this problem,” Ms Dent said. “So my question is this: How will the Coalition seek to improve things for the 680,000 Australians living in areas where there are no early childhood education and care services at all?
“How will they put downward pressure on skyrocketing out of pocket fees that are driving inflation?
“What is their policy to maintain and improve educator wages so there is an adequate workforce to meet legitimate demand?
“What is their policy to create economic opportunities for women to return to the workforce in an era of widespread skill shortages?
“The Business Council of Australia says this is good economic policy – on what basis would the Coalition disagree?
“Parents are looking for answers, not cheap shots or opposition for opposition's sake.”
