early childhood education and care

The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the budget is firmly focused on getting Australians back into work so it must deliver for Australian women.

A group of predominately women-led businesses are spearheading an urgent campaign calling on the Government to make early childhood education and care free.

Parents unable to use childcare services over the next six weeks, during Melbourne’s stage four lockdown, will be provided with an extra 30 days of “allowable absences”.

Thousands of educators in long day childcare services across Melbourne have no guarantee of income for at least the next 6 weeks.

The end of free childcare is a double hit to working women. It hits an industry mostly staffed by women & will make it more difficult for women to work.

Free childcare provides the rarest of economic policy opportunities – an effective form of fiscal stimulus in the short term and the long run.

New research from The Front Project & Mitchell Institute confirms a reduction in demand for childcare is practically guaranteed when childcare fees return.

If our economy is to “snap back” it will require thriving children’s services capable of meeting the demand of all parents who require it.

Liberal Senator Gerard Rennick weighed into the debate about early childhood education & care, saying children should stay home because Dorothy said so.

Almost a quarter of families using childcare will be adversely impacted by the activity test and potentially face higher out of pocket fees for care than before COVID19.

On Tuesday UNSS said it would close Kanga’s House, the long-running ECEC service on campus, and outsource three other centres.

The old broken childcare model & the interim rescue package are not the only available options for the delivery of early education in Australia.