2025-04-02
In the wake of the ABC’s Four Corners report exposing abuse and misconduct by childcare providers and Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly’s Ministerial Statement, the Greens are launching a plan to urgently establish an independent Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Commission to strictly enforce quality standards and keep our kids safe.
The Greens' ECEC Commission, modeled on regulatory bodies like the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, will work with states and territories to guarantee that every child can receive safe, high-quality care.
With childcare costs soaring and the current subsidy system failing families, the ECEC Commission will also be tasked with driving universal, free childcare and act as a central hub for research, monitoring, and evaluation. It will prioritise funding for high-quality public and not-for-profit providers.
The establishment of an independent commission is a key recommendation of the 2024 Productivity Commission's inquiry into universal ECEC, but is yet to be actioned by the Government.
The Green’s plan for an ECEC Commission is fully costed and will be established with an initial investment of $1.5 billion over the forward estimates.
Comments attributable to Greens early childhood education and care spokesperson, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:
“The for-profit childcare sector is a playground for cowboys operators who are profiteering off our children.
"Labor’s childcare subsidy encourages for-profit providers to minimise costs, increase fees and make greater returns often at the expense of our kids. It’s a broken system and it is unacceptable that there is currently no consistent and enforceable mechanism to ensure safety and quality in early childhood education.
“The Greens plan for an ECEC Commission will, for the first time, give a national body the power to crack down on rogue operators and shut down unsafe centres. Centres where we have heard instances of severe abuse, mistreatment of staff and hazardous conditions for children.
“The Greens' ECEC Commission will not only guarantee families that their kids' safety is protected but also lay a clear path to universal, free early childhood education.
“With more Greens in Parliament, we’ll fight to keep Dutton out of government and push Labor to make childcare universal, free and high-quality.”
MEDIA CONTACTS
HODGINS-MAY:
Sam – 0437 620 603