The Federal Government is fulfilling one of its election promises by announcing the terms of its Productivity Commission inquiry into childcare affordability and accessibility.
Releasing the terms of reference for its promised review of childcare and early childhood learning, the Productivity Commission will take a look at long daycare, family daycare, after-school care, nannies, au pairs, childcare at work and mobile childcare. The inquiry will determine how the government can make childcare more accessible, affordable and flexible.
The commission will be asked to consider which models of care should be rolled out in Australia, and will include a public consultation which will report in October next year.
In announcing the terms of the inquiry yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the current childcare system was out of touch with the modern workplace and should be responsive to the needs of modern families who don’t necessarily follow a traditional five-day 9am-5pm working week.
“We think it is important, given that there hasn’t been a serious look at the childcare system for two decades, that we have this serious look, see how we can improve it, see what we can do with our childcare system to enhance participation, to boost productivity,” he told journalists.
The government has asked the Productivity Commission to ”consider options within current funding parameters” and is unlikely to lead to an increase in funding for childcare.
Shadow Minister for education and early childhood, Kate Ellis, has called on the government to assure the public that families will not be worse off as a result of the inquiry.
“The only promise that Tony Abbott has made today is that there will be no more money for child care,” she told ABC News.