Winding back childcare “Activity Test” a seismic win for children, equity & nation: The Parenthood

The federal government’s commitment to wind back the punitive childcare “Activity Test” – which locks an estimated 126,000 children out of early learning [1] – is a “seismic” victory on the path towards universal early childhood education and care in Australia and is wholeheartedly welcomed by advocates.

Tuesday 10 December 2024

The federal government’s commitment to wind back the punitive childcare “Activity Test” – which locks an estimated 126,000 children out of early learning [1] – is a “seismic” victory on the path towards universal early childhood education and care in Australia and is wholeheartedly welcomed by advocates.

The move is part of the government’s commitment to ensure all children in Australia have access to at least three days of subsidised early childhood education and care a week. 

The Parenthood CEO Georgie Dent said it is a profound win for children, equity and the nation.  

“The Activity Test is one of the most significant obstacles to universal access to early childhood education and care in the country and has been particularly detrimental to First Nations families as well as children from low-income and disadvantaged households,” Ms Dent said. 

The test determines eligibility for government-subsidised childcare based on whether, and how many hours, their parents work.

“We wouldn’t dream of blocking a child from participating in primary school if their parents didn’t work certain hours and we shouldn’t accept that in the early years either.  

“Winding back the Activity Test represents a paradigm shift in which we recognise that early childhood education and care is a critical component of our education system and that the entitlement to participate sits with the child – not a parent.  

“The Activity Test disproportionately locks out First Nations children and children from low-income and disadvantaged households, who are the most likely to benefit the most from early learning, yet are currently least likely to participate. This was a wicked problem clearly articulated by the Productivity Commission in its recent major review of the sector.

The Parenthood is one of many organisations which have been campaigning for the abolishment of the Activity Test since its inception, and for a guarantee for all children to have access to at least three days a week of quality, inclusive early childhood education and care. 

“Children who attend high quality early learning are more likely to arrive at school developmentally on track than children who don’t. The Activity Test has stood in the way of too many children having that opportunity and we welcome its removal.”

The Parenthood is calling on the Opposition to match the commitment.