Early education and care is a nightmare for Australian families. It is too expensive, too hard to access and impossible to navigate.
As a result, kids across the country are being denied early learning opportunities critical to their development, and primary carers are missing out on crucial paid work.
Let's be clear: early childhood education and care is an essential service.
All children, no matter their primary carers’ income, employment status or postcode, deserve the best start in life. We need a universal early years education system, just like we have with schools.
That is why the Greens are urging the Labor Government to:
- Provide free early years education and care to all children.
- Abolish the childcare subsidy activity test and reduce barriers to childcare for the most disadvantaged families.
- Give educators a 25% pay rise, as asked for by their unions.
- Strengthen early learning for First Nations children through support for First Nations Community controlled services.
High-quality education is a right that should be universal and free, not a privilege reserved for just those who can afford to pay for it.
The Labor government can no longer drag their feet and make distant promises. It’s time for Labor to listen to the Greens, parents and educators and make early education truly universal for all.
Join our campaign to make childcare free for all.
Did you know?
Universal early childhood education is part of the Greens’ plan to make education free for life. We want to provide free education from childhood through school, uni and TAFE. Read more about our plan here.