Page 312 - Week 01 - Thursday, 17 February 2011
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continue to be a significant issue for years to come. High quality and affordable childcare enables much greater workforce participation for women, especially for those aged between 25 and 44 years. Australia does not fare well in female workforce participation in that age bracket.
In 2005 an OECD report found Australia ranked 23rd; 2008 data ranked Australia below Canada, Sweden the UK and the US. Fortunately, the ACT public service fares very well. In 2008, the ACT government service reported a pay equity gap of $14,000, that is, $3,000 less than the national average, which is positive, but of course there is still work to be done.
Much is said about family-friendly policies but in reality it is hard policy that requires a concerted response across portfolio areas and cultural change within workplaces, especially those outside the public sector.
In order to value women’s participation, we need to value childcare workers, of whom the vast majority are women. It was only in 2006 that childcare workers were recognised as professionals, as part of a pay equity case. The Greens recognise childcare as more than babysitting. Our policies promote it as an essential part of early childhood development. We support pay increases in the profession that recognise the skill in education and care of workers in the childcare sector and will make childcare work an attractive and well-recognised career choice. This will encourage more people into the childcare workforce and in turn provide the childcare places that the community is demanding.
Under the modern award, the minimum rate of pay for a support worker is $15.34 per hour. The highest level worker, under a director, earns $25.42 an hour after working for two years at that level. The Greens are very supportive of the upskilling and training required under the new minimum qualification requirements of a level III certificate that are coming into force in 2014. The Greens will be taking a particular interest in and will monitor how the training transition is progressing. We believe this is a very positive move forward for the sector and a vital thing to be happening for those children in the childcare centres. We want the best environment for them.
Another issue of note and concern is staff retention within childcare. The latest data available is unfortunately from 2006, although I understand a new survey is currently underway. In this data, the staff turnover rate for the ACT is 47 per cent, the second largest in the country and considerably ahead of the national average of 32 per cent turnover. We hope that the upskilling taking place under the new national minimum requirements will ease this turnover rate. We will continue to check on the ACT’s progress, considering that 30 to 45 per cent of childcare workers are untrained and 70 per cent of centres in the ACT do not meet compliance for the under-2s ratio of one worker to four children.
The Greens believe that, as a community, we all have an obligation to lift the profile of the childcare profession. We all must acknowledge that childcare is not babysitting but rather an investment in the wellbeing of our children, the very first and often enduring effects of early education.
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