Childcare bill passes but Greens say reactive legislation is not enough to keep kids safe

The Greens say the newly passed Strengthening Regulation of Early Education Bill - which gives the Government new powers to cut off Child Care Subsidy (CCS) payments to services that repeatedly fail quality standards - doesn’t deliver what’s needed to truly address safety and quality in early learning.

The Greens supported the Bill but warned that without deeper reform of the early learning system, children will continue to face unacceptable risks, including abuse, neglect, and systemic malpractice.

Senator Hodgins-May questioned the Government on the Bill today, highlighting that most measures rely on the discretion of the Education Department Secretary—revealing what the Greens say is a lack of clear decision-making frameworks and inadequate sector consultation.

The Greens remain ready to work with the Government on real structural early learning reform when Parliament returns in three weeks.

Lines attributable to the Australian Greens spokesperson for early education and care: 

“This Bill introduces measures the Greens support, but it does nothing to lift quality across the board and only kicks in after providers fail on safety or quality.

“The new measures rely entirely on the Secretary’s discretion, with no clear framework for how decisions will be made, including when it comes to what information is shared with families.

“The deeper issue lies in the subsidy funding model - a model that treats early education as an industry to profit from, not a human right.

“The CCS funnels billions into a system dominated by private operators where only 13 per cent exceed quality standards, compared to 28 per cent of not-for-profits.

“Only an independent national watchdog as proposed by the Greens and backed by the sector will genuinely lift quality and safety and move us towards a genuinely accessible and high quality early education system.

“It should never take tragedies to trigger reform. The Prime Minister says he wants universal, affordable childcare to be his legacy. Well, is he ready to work with us to deliver it?”