Page 229 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
training opportunities for childcare staff across the many different services that I have been describing and the resultant provision of quality childcare.
As Minister Burch has already stated, when looking at costs across all jurisdictions, it may initially appear that the ACT has high costs. But comparing like with like—that is, urban metropolitan cities with each other, such as Wollongong and Newcastle—the costs of childcare are very similar.
Planning for additional childcare centres is also market driven, based on population need and identified demand. As stated repeatedly by Minister Burch, the government regulates and monitors childcare services in accordance with licence conditions and with the relevant childcare standards. It does not set fees or provide childcare.
When discussing the provision of childcare services, the issue of quality is crucial, as I said before. Ms Hunter has also referred to that. The government is committed to the provision of quality childcare services and is investing heavily in early intervention, including the early childhood preschool services. This government is also participating in the national reforms in early childhood education and care. We have heard earlier from Minister Burch also about the importance of quality care and the ACT’s success in this area.
The Council of Australian Governments endorsed major early childhood reforms on 2 July 2009, releasing Investing in the early years—a national early childhood development strategy and an early years learning framework. The national early childhood development strategy aims to improve the health, safety, early learning and wellbeing of Australia’s children and spells out a vision that by 2020 all children can have the best possible start in life to create a better future for them and for the nation. The strategy is being supported by a new national quality agenda for early childhood development and care, to which the minister referred. This will further significantly lift the standard of care for our young children.
As part of the strategy, an early childhood education national partnership has also been agreed to by all governments, which focuses on providing universal access to 15 hours of preschool programs for all four-year-old children. A recent report written by early childhood experts titled Childcare and early education in Australia identified that this agenda was on the right track. Children who attended an early childhood program had better language skills than those who did not, and in groups where teachers were university qualified and more teacher-supported small group activities were offered, children had higher pro-social behaviour and fewer problem behaviours.
You all heard Ms Hunter refer to the importance of the childhood opportunities in those first early years of life. These are important initiatives which will ensure that children have access to the best childcare during the most important early years. These services complement other significant early interventions and prevention services provided by this government in conjunction with our community partners, such as child and family centres and family and support programs. We can talk, I am sure, for a long time about the success of our child and family centres, and I am looking forward to the establishment of one in west Belconnen.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video