2024-09-04
The ACT Greens have announced a plan to provide 18 hours of free early childhood education and care to all 3 and 4 year olds in order to set kids up for life and provide some much needed cost of living relief for families.
“The early years is the most critical window for a child in terms of their social, emotional and cognitive development,” said recontesting Member for Brindabella, Laura Nuttall MLA.
“Providing high quality education in those critical years of a child’s life sets them up for success both in their educational journey, and for life.
“We also know that having access to affordable early childhood education and care means that families can choose to participate in work, study or other pursuits without impacting their financial security.
“We are in a cost of living crisis - housing is expensive, food is expensive, transport is expensive and early childhood education is expensive. Families are struggling.
“The reality is that most families these days can’t survive on a single income. With both parents forced to work, the cost of early childhood education and care becomes an additional challenge as families have to weigh up the costs and benefits of working versus paying for care.
“Unfortunately, the outcome of this decision often disproportionately impacts women, who are presumed to be the primary caregiver. This then has flow on effects for their career, their super and the broader trajectory of their life.
“Not only is early childhood education pivotal in supporting and enhancing a child's development, it is now also an essential service for families.
“The ACT Greens want to ensure that every child has the best possible start to life and that's why we will provide 18 hours of free early childhood education and care for 3 and 4 year olds by 2028, with a view to expanding that to 30 hours in the next 10 years.
“We want to ensure that all children have access to high quality education and care and all families are supported to make decisions based on what is right for their family, not just what they can or can't afford.
“This is an ambitious plan that we will develop in close consultation with the sector and the workforce.
“Our educators are the beating heart of this essential service; they care deeply about the children in their care and are committed to providing the best possible educational outcomes for each and every child.
“With that in mind, we want to boost the sector and career pathways and opportunities for educators by providing scholarships and professional development. We’ll work closely with the sector to understand their needs, and support early childhood educators to embrace a career that makes such a difference to the lives of young children.”
The ACT Greens will:
- Provide 18 hours free ECEC for 3 and 4 year olds by 2028
- Commit to expanding this to 30 hours by 2034
- Provide scholarships to upskill more educators
- Boost support for educators to build skills and complete masters degrees
Deputy Leader of the ACT Greens, Rebecca Vassarotti said the ACT Greens’ announcement of free and universal early education will reduce the cost of living for thousands of families across Canberra and improve educational outcomes for kids.
“The foundation to a good life is a good education - the Greens believe that this education starts as soon as our kids are born, not just when they enter school,” Ms Vassarotti said.
“For far too long early educators have been seen as childminders, rather than educational experts who have a massive impact on the foundational years in our kids’ lives.
“As someone with a background running a progressive and women-led early education not-for-profit, I know that valuing early childhood education and early childhood educators is the first step to building a more equal and prosperous society.
“Whether it’s because free early education supports better learning outcomes for kids, or because it enables women greater freedom to participate in the workforce - the ACT Greens’ plan for early education is a sensible and ambitious investment in the lives of Canberrans.
More information about the ACT Greens policy can be found here: https://greens.org.au/act/policies/education