The Albanese Labor Government's second Budget will deliver $72.4 million over five years to support the skills and training of workers in the early childhood education and care sector.
Our Budget will create more opportunities for more Australians by investing in health and aged care, advancing women's economic equality, and delivering better government services.
This package will benefit more than 80,000 early childhood educators, with a targeted focus on regional and remote services and First Nations organisations.
Support will enable positions to be backfilled while up to 75,000 early childhood educators, teachers and centre directors undertake professional development opportunities.
The package will also help 6,000 existing educators upskill by providing financial support to help complete on-the-job teaching placements required by teacher education courses.
Additionally, 2,000 early childhood educators will be supported to undertake a practicum exchange at a different service, with a living allowance for students undertaking a practicum in a rural or remote location.
This vital investment will ensure early childhood educators can build their skills, with clear opportunities for career advancement.
The Government is also ensuring Australian children have access to the transformational benefits of early years learning no matter where they live, through the Community Child Care Fund.
This all builds on the reforms the Albanese Government has delivered making early childhood education and care more affordable from July, for around 1.2 million families.
These landmark reforms and significant investment will ensure Australian families are empowered to make the choices that are right for them when it comes to early learning, workforce participation and further education - while also boosting the economic security of women.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly
"A sustainable early childhood education sector is central to our landmark reforms, making early childhood education and care more affordable for around 1.2 million Australian families.
"These measures have been shaped by our ongoing engagement with the sector, responding to the needs of this vital workforce.
"Early childhood education is a wonderful career with a clear path for progression, we're making sure the workforce can access the development opportunities they need."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare
"Child care is really important. It is also really expensive. From July, more than 1.2 million families will benefit from Cheaper Child Care.
"Cheaper Child Care is a practical measure that is good for children, good for parents and good for the country.
"It will help with cost of living pressures and make it easier for parents to return to paid work, or work more paid hours, if they want to."
