2026-08-26
The Greens are calling on the Labor Government to step in to ensure continuity of early childhood education and care for families affected by the collapse of for-profit provider Edge Early Learning.
Edge Early Learning, which operates around 70 centres across the ACT, NSW and Queensland, has entered voluntary administration, putting the continuity of education and care for thousands of children and families in question. Under Family Assistance Law, an early learning provider must notify the federal government when closing a Child Care Subsidy approved service.
Australian Greens spokesperson for Early Childhood Education and Care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May, said Labor must ensure families are not left scrambling for alternative care where there is unmet need and no realistic alternative service available.
Lines attributable to Senator Steph Hodgins-May:
“Why does this Labor Government only treat education as a public good once a child turns five?
“I can’t imagine seeing the headlines today and learning that the early learning centre you rely on could be closing imminently.
“For families this could mean losing a place in education for their child, disrupting their work or study, or being forced to join another years-long waiting list.
“The market model of early learning is failing families. We have seen a succession of for-profit providers collapse or close services, because a system designed around making a buck cannot guarantee that every child has access to quality, safe and accessible education.
“It’s not good enough for the Labor Government to throw up its hands and say that’s what happens when a private business fails.
“If a primary or secondary school closed tomorrow, governments would have a plan to make sure every student could continue their education. Why should early learning be any different?
“Where the Commonwealth identifies that there is no capacity in alternative community, not-for-profit or public early learning services, it should step in to maintain service continuity and keep that centre operating.
“We need to reckon with the way we deliver early learning in this country to ensure this does not keep happening. This is not the first for-profit provider collapse and certainly will not be the last.
“Early learning should not be left to a market where companies can walk away when a service is no longer commercially viable, leaving families and children to pick up the pieces.”