2025-08-22
On the day of a national meeting of Education Ministers, the Greens are urging ministers to go beyond band-aid fixes and tackle the systemic problems undermining safety and quality in childcare.
The Greens say yesterday’s naming of 29 centres under new laws is a start, but it won’t lift overall quality or address the deeper failures of the for-profit model.
Last week, the Greens announced they will move to establish a Senate Inquiry into the quality and safety of early education and care as soon as Parliament resumes. The inquiry will, among other things, examine how the childcare subsidy model props up for-profit providers and undermines standards.
Lines attributable to Australian Greens spokesperson for early childhood education and care, Senator Steph Hodgins-May:
“More and more evidence is mounting that the profit-driven model of early learning is failing by treating children as revenue streams, not as young people deserving of quality care and education.
“As Education Ministers meet today I urge them to go beyond band-aid fixes and confront the real issue putting our kids at risk - a system that puts profit ahead of care.
“The rapid review in Victoria warns providers are putting profits ahead of children’s safety, while the recent NSW review exposed the inherent conflict between profit and quality care. When will the Government finally reckon with this?
“The difference is stark: only 13 per cent of for-profit centres exceed the national quality standard, compared with almost one-third of community and not-for-profit centres.
“Naming and shaming poor quality providers is a first step, but it’s not enough. These are our children we’re talking about, not line items on a balance sheet.”