Forum puts childcare access under election spotlight

Perth Now

29-04-2025

A universal early childcare system is within reach for Australia, but MPs from across the political spectrum agree there are multiple steps needed to get there.
Minister for Early Childhood Education Anne Aly, Liberal MP Angie Bell, Greens senator Steph Hodgins-May and independent MP Zoe Daniel took part in a forum on early childhood, held four days before the election.
The forum was facilitated online by Early Childhood Australia.
Ms Aly said Australia had the blueprint for a universal childcare system that was simple, affordable and accessible to every child.
"We want to transform early childhood education and care to ensure educators and teachers are truly valued for what they do," she said.
The discussion quickly turned to the childcare activity test, abolished by the Albanese government in the most recent budget.
The activity test determined who was eligible for government-subsidised childcare based on the hours parents spent working, studying, volunteering or looking for work.
The Productivity Commission, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Women's Economic Equality Taskforce have previously called for the activity test to be abolished.
It will be replaced with a three-day guarantee, allowing families to access 72 hours of subsidised care per fortnight, regardless of parents' level of work.
The removal of the activity test is expected to benefit about 67,000 families and around 100,000 families will have access to more hours of subsidised care.
"The activity test is retrograde, it's poorly designed policy and it makes it tougher for women," Ms Aly said.
"Removing the activity test is crucial to making sure the most vulnerable children have access and the opportunity to thrive in early childhood education."
But the coalition intends to reinstate the childcare subsidy activity test if re-elected.
Coalition MP Angie Bell argued the childcare system was $16 billion of taxpayer funding and therefore access to it should be means tested.
"It should go to those families who need it the most, and that is families who are working," she said.
Ms Bell said the coalition had committed to improving access to childcare in rural and regional Australia, where families were often impacted by lack of availability.
Quality standards of childcare centres were also discussed after an ABC investigation revealed shocking allegations of children being sexually abused, restrained for hours and served low-quality meals.
The NSW government has launched a parliamentary inquiry into the childcare sector to investigate the widespread failings in the burgeoning for-profit childcare system.
The Greens have gone a step further, calling for a royal commission into abuse in early childhood care to stamp out systemic issues across the board, while also reforming quality standards.
"I've got a two-year-old who's still in early childhood education and care and I was deeply disturbed by the reports coming out about the abuse and neglect at some early childhood providers," Senator Hodgins-May said.
Ms Daniel proposed the establishment of an early childhood commission, which would determine a national approach to regulatory standards.
"We need to set a national standard and also weed out unscrupulous operators, while making sure that there is rigour in the oversight of the sector," she said.
"An early childhood commission would also oversee the rolling out of a universal early childhood system where every child has access to quality, affordable, accessible care."