Ask your local MP to support to the Building Early Childhood Education Fund.

As members of the Thrive by Five community, we know better than most the challenges families in rural and regional Australia face when it comes to accessing childcare and early childhood education.

For parents in small towns with no early learning centres nearby, returning to work often feels impossible. They’re stuck on long waiting lists, hoping for a spot that may never come. For many, the nearest centre is so far away that the daily commute is simply unsustainable.

But it’s not just parents who are affected—children are missing out, too. Research shows that the first five years of a child’s life are critical for their development, and every child deserves the chance to thrive during this time. However, far too many children living in rural and regional parts of the country have little to no access to early learning, leading to many starting school already behind their peers from metro areas.

These are the realities of living in a childcare desert: parents are forced to make impossible choices, and children miss out on the early learning they need to thrive.

But there’s hope.

The Federal Government’s Building Early Childhood Education Fund will build over 160 new childcare centres in areas of need, mostly in regional and rural Australia. This is a critical step toward ensuring every child, no matter where they live, has access to the childcare and early childhood education they deserve.

Here’s where you come in.

Your local MP has the power to advocate for this fund and ensure that families in your community don’t miss out. When MPs hear directly from their constituents—people like you—they’re far more likely to take action. By sending them a quick email, you can help make sure this fund gets the support it needs to become a reality.

Together, we can make sure this fund delivers real change.

When enough of us speak up, MPs across the country will back the fund, ensuring it gets the support it needs. Once the fund is established, over 160 new childcare centres will be built in areas of need, reducing wait times and giving families in childcare deserts the support they’ve been waiting for.

Most importantly, it means children in these communities will no longer miss out on the early learning they need to thrive.

It only takes a moment to make a difference. Will you email your MP today?

Together, we can ensure that every child, no matter where they live, has access to the childcare and early childhood education they need to thrive.