The Parenthood joins MPs, families and children’s advocates in Canberra today for the launch of a draft bill which would create a universal entitlement to early childhood education and care and preschool for all Australian children.
Developed by Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five campaign, the draft bill also proposes the expansion of paid parental leave to 52 weeks, to be shared between partners, as well as access to 10 child and maternal health care checks for all children.
It comes just two days after the Albanese Government’s welcome announcement that they will increase paid parental leave entitlements from 22 weeks to 26 weeks by July 2026.
Georgie Dent, CEO of The Parenthood, says that the bill would be “transformative” for Australian children, families and parents – particularly mothers – in recognising the fundamental importance of the early years.
“Right now too many parents in Australia have less choice over how they balance work and family in the early years compared to parents in other OECD countries,” Ms Dent said.
“Adequate paid parental leave and totally affordable, quality early childhood education and care are critical social infrastructure that every person should be entitled to, just like primary and tertiary education, superannuation or Medicare,” Ms Dent said.
“It’s great to see politicians recognising this and getting behind the need to legislate universal access to early learning and 52 weeks paid parental leave.
Ms Dent says that the current Australian early learning system is set up in a way that for both children and parents, those from disadvantaged backgrounds miss out the most.
“This bill would not only level the playing field for all children to get the best start in life, but also promote gender equity through improved workforce participation and paid parental leave entitlements, reduce the financial burden of childcare on household budgets, and boost productivity nation-wide.
“At The Parenthood, we hear time and time again from parents – particularly from those living regionally and remotely, or those from lower income households – that it either didn’t make sense financially to progress their careers once they had children or that it was simply impossible due to care being inaccessible.”
“Whether it’s the high-cost, the years-long waitlist, or the fact that there are simply no services in their area - too many parents and children miss out. The childcare subsidy system and confusing Activity Test only compound these barriers.
“The fact that 20% of children start school developmentally vulnerable is linked to not having access to early childhood education and care. Countries like Finland and Canada show us that this is a worry that could be so easily removed with more equitable childcare systems and policies.”
The Parenthood recently praised the Federal Government for their announcement to include superannuation in paid parental leave and expand entitlements to 26 weeks by July 2026.
“We’re making progress for families but still have a long way to go. Let’s build on the momentum of recent wins by reducing the number of hurdles parents face when children enter the picture, by making access to early childhood education and care a universal right and extending paid parental leave further to 52 weeks.”
