Page 3171 - Week 10 - Thursday, 17 September 2015
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(a) recent Australian Government cuts to Community Support program and the detrimental impact it has had on Family Day Care in the ACT;
(b) impact the continued uncertainty over Australian Government policy is having on ACT families and the need for greater clarity;
(c) inconsistent approaches the Australian Government is taking between Family Day Care providers and nannies in relation to qualifications and compliance measures;
(d) need to ensure consistent high quality in early childhood education and care;
(e) 94% growth in the number of long day care places since 2001, including an anticipated 1200 places in the 12 months from October 2014; and
(f) ACT Government’s consistent support of the early childhood education sector through land release, targeted capital funding for centre expansions and scholarships for the workforce; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to:
(a) work with the Australian Government to ensure any changes to early childhood education and care policy allow all families to access affordable and high quality early childhood education;
(b) support the early childhood education and care sector to ensure all Canberra families have access to affordable high quality services; and
(c) work with the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to ensure consistent expectation in regards to qualifications and compliance in early childhood education and care.
I have brought this motion on today to put on record the ACT government’s concerns about the federal government’s policy in respect to child care and some of the inconsistencies that are emerging in the policies of the federal government. This year we saw the usual pre-budget drip feed from the federal government and this year the budget has clearly focused heavily on child care and early education.
The former Prime Minister announced earlier in the year that there would be a two-year extension to the universal access partnership that guarantees every child in Australia 15 hours of early childhood education in the year before school. I am pleased the federal government has moved to continue to support this program, at least in media announcements. I say that because the commonwealth during the budget, whilst supplying money, did not guarantee a rollover of the current national partnership. Indeed, the commonwealth has consistently sought to redraw the boundaries of this deal and place in jeopardy the 15 hours of preschool for families in this city.
The research is quite clear on this. It shows that quality early education for 15 hours per week improves learning and outcomes and brain development and shows that the
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