Parents welcome first step towards Early Childhood Commission

Australia's leading parent advocacy organisation, The Parenthood, has welcomed today's announcement that the federal government will begin consultation and design work towards the creation of an Early Childhood Commission.

Speaking on behalf of the organisation's 85,000 members, CEO Georgie Dent said the announcement was an important step towards building a truly universal early childhood education and care system — and rebuilding families' confidence.

"The Parenthood has long called for genuine stewardship of the early education and care sector — not just oversight, but the kind of active coordination and long-term planning the system has lacked. We welcome this announcement and the government's commitment to doing the design work properly and in genuine consultation with states and territories, the sector and stakeholders.

"Families are entitled to expect the provision of early childhood education and care that meets the needs of the community, with strong national standards, clear accountability and robust monitoring in place across all providers. This is about safety, quality and rebuilding trust in a system that millions of families rely on.

"But stewardship means more than watching. It means actively coordinating across governments to ensure the system works as a whole and that means bringing states and territories to the table as genuine partners in this design process. 

"A well-designed early childhood commission has the potential to help governments at every level better map supply and demand, sustain a strong workforce, lift quality and ensure the funding model delivers for children and parents. 

"Parents deserve confidence that quality early learning places will be available where they are needed and affordable. They need assurance that communities won't be left vulnerable when large providers experience instability or sudden disruption. That kind of security requires coordination not just monitoring.

"We strongly support a thorough consultation process and look forward to contributing the perspective of families as this work progresses. Parents deserve a genuine seat at the table in shaping what this commission looks like and how it operates. 

"Early childhood education and care is essential social and economic infrastructure. The stewardship it deserves must reflect the scale, complexity and shared responsibility of a system Australian families depend on every day."

The Parenthood is Australia’s leading parent advocacy organisation, representing families nationwide and working to make early childhood education and care safer, more affordable and accessible for every child.