MAKING EARLY LEARNING AND CARE MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE FIRST STEPS TO HELP ENCOURAGE AUSSIES TO HAVE MORE KIDS
10 May 2024 – In an interview published today, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he hopes Australians would consider having more kids to help ensure the long-term prosperity of the nation [1].
Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five campaign said if the Treasurer and the Federal Government wanted to encourage Australians to have more children, they should make early childhood education and care more accessible and affordable.
Minderoo Foundation’s Jay Weatherill said that the high cost of early learning and limited support offered to primary carers in the early years contributed to many Australians’ decisions not to have more children.
“Encouraging Australians to have more children, as the Treasurer hopes, will require us to offer adequate support in the early years,” Mr Weatherill said.
“It is clear that high out-of-pocket costs for early childhood education and care and the impact they have on workforce participation by primary carers, who are predominantly women, are contributing to many Australians choosing to have fewer or no children.
“In the short term, there are steps the Treasurer can take in this year’s Federal Budget which would make parenting easier as well as improve early childhood outcomes, including removing the punitive childcare subsidy Activity Test and funding an immediate wage increase for Australia’s early childhood educators.
“Over the longer term, Thrive by Five is calling on all decision-makers to enshrine the right of every child to a high quality, affordable and universal early childhood development system in law.
“These are pragmatic steps that will not only provide urgent relief for Australian families right now but will also help build the early childhood education and care system our nation needs for the future.
“A universally accessible and affordable early learning system will provide Australian families with the support they need in the early years and will help ensure that every child gets the best start in life.
“We strongly encourage Treasurer Chalmers to use the forthcoming Federal Budget to deliver reforms which help Australia get closer to a universally affordable early learning and care system,” Mr Weatherill said.
[1] Inside Politics – Treasurer Jim Chalmers promises relief in the upcoming budget.
