Early Childhood Education

Every child deserves safe, high-quality early learning. But right now, our childcare system is failing too many kids — with inconsistent standards, unsafe centres, and no national body with the power to enforce real accountability.

The Greens will fix this broken system by establishing an independent Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Commission, in doing so implementing a key recommendation of the 2024 Productivity Commission's inquiry into universal ECEC. 

The Greens' plan:

• Invest $1.5 billion to establish an independent Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Commission.
• Give the Commission the power to enforce national quality standards, crack down on rogue operators, and shut down unsafe centres.
• Task the Commission with leading the transition to universal, free, high-quality childcare.
• Provide expert research, evaluation and policy advice to drive early learning reform, backed by data and evidence.

Childcare costs are out of control — and the current subsidy system is too complex, too expensive, and failing families.

Right now, parents are forced to make impossible choices: put careers on hold, miss out on income, or skip early education altogether. For children, it means missing out on vital learning and development in their most critical early years.
The Greens will replace the broken Child Care Subsidy with a new, public model that makes early childhood education and care free, universal and high-quality.

The Greens' plan:

• Transition to a system that directly funds childcare providers — just like schools — to deliver free, high-quality care for every family.
• Invest over $9 billion per year on average to provide 50 hours a week of free early learning and care for every child.
• Extend universal access to preschool to 30 hours a week for all three and four-year-olds, with $1 billion in annual investment. Every child deserves the best start — and every family deserves the freedom to thrive.

Right now, around 700,000 Australians live in areas with little or no access to childcare — leaving parents without options and kids missing out on critical early learning.

The Greens will establish a new Childcare Desert Fund and expand access to community and non-profit centres, ensuring every child can access high-quality care close to home.

The Greens' plan:

• Invest $2 billion to establish a Childcare Desert Fund to bring services to high-need areas.
• Invest $200 million in grants within one year to immediately reduce waitlists at community and non-profit (including government-run) centres.
• Invest $5 billion to support public, community and non-profit providers to scale up and meet demand as we transition to free childcare.

Early childhood educators are underpaid and undervalued — leading to burnout, turnover, and staff shortages across the sector.

The Greens will implement the National Workforce Strategy in full and boost access to high-quality training — including support for First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse educators.

The Greens' plan:

• Invest $10 million to implement the National Children’s Education and Care Workforce Strategy.
• Invest $50 million in targeted workforce training and support programs for First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

First Nations children are more likely to start school developmentally vulnerable and less likely to access early education — often due to inaccessible or culturally unsafe services.

The Greens will work with First Nations organisations to properly fund and expand community-controlled early learning services.

The Greens' plan:

• Commit $10 million to work with First Nations organisations to develop a new funding model for community-controlled early childhood education.
• Commit $200 million to improve access to free, specialised cultural early learning and care.

Parents of disabled children face higher costs and fewer options when it comes to accessing childcare.

The Greens will invest in making early childhood services inclusive and accessible — so all families can access the care they need.

The Greens' plan:

• Provide $500 million in grant funding over four years to support centres to improve access for disabled children and their families.