2 May 2021
The Federal Government's childcare package announced today is a welcome boost to funding for early childhood education and care for families who have a second or third child in childcare.
Australian Council of Social Service CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said:
"This policy is a welcome step in the right direction for reform of early childhood education and care, that we wish was coming sooner than its slated introduction date of 2022.
"Quality early childhood education has a significant positive impact on a child's development and future learning outcomes.
"Children who attend early childhood education for at least a year before starting school are half as likely to have developmental vulnerabilities when they start school as children who have not received early learning services
"The next step for the Federal Government is to address a range of other childcare issues, including the activity test that restricts children's access, particularly those from low income and sole parent families, to early childhood education and care.
"We look forward to seeing a range of other new measures to address women's economic security and safety in next week's budget," Dr Goldie said.
