A lack of early childhood education and care (ECEC) across regional Australia is hampering the nation’s economic prosperity, as the population of the regions grows at an unprecedented rate.
Regional Australia stands at the precipice of a pathway leading to enormous transition, but that wealth will only be achieved if communities have the services they need, such as ECEC.
The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) has today joined with more than 50 organisations across the country to call for the development and delivery of universal access to ECEC for every regional, rural and remote child across Australia.
Launched in Canberra this morning and coordinated by independent, not-for-profit advocacy organisation, The Parenthood, the new Access for Every Child Coalition has released a joint statement with six calls to action, including:
- The implementation of strong public management of the ECEC system in collaboration with state and territory governments.
- Supply-side subsidies for ECEC providers in rural and remote areas.
- The implementation of a regional, rural and remote national workforce strategy, including culturally safe training for First Nations educators.
RAI CEO Liz Ritchie said the Coalition’s joint statement spoke directly to both recent research by the Institute and the Regionalisation Ambition – a holistic 10 year plan for regional Australia addressing key themes such as jobs and skills, liveability and population.
“Regional Australia’s population has grown by 6% over the last five years and is now home to nearly 10 million people, but far too many of those people still struggle to access the early childhood education and care they both deserve and require. In 2022, nearly four million regional Australians lived in a ‘childcare desert’. This must change, otherwise the aspirations the government has for the regions to lead the nation’s transition to a low-carbon economy will be difficult to achieve,” Ms Ritchie said.
“Our youngest regional residents gain so much from being able to access the specialised care and nurturing ECEC workers provide. Likewise, many regional parents are eager to work, or work more, but can’t because of a lack of access to ECEC. In April alone there were almost 80,000 jobs advertised across regional Australia – many of those could very well be filled if more ECEC was available in the regions.”
Ms Ritchie said the RAI’s Against the Odds: Realising Regional Australia’s Potential Workforce report called for reform to the Activity Test required to access the Child Care Subsidy in recognition of the limitations it places on shift and seasonal workers, and the barriers it creates for vulnerable families and children; as well as the establishment of an incentive program for the start-up and operation of family childcare providers and where appropriate, support for kindergartens to transition to long daycare services.
“Both of these recommendations feature in the Access for Every Child Coalition’s joint statement, which now has the support of dozens of key organisations and advocacy groups across the nation. We now ask government, the private sector and industry to work with us, to not only allow children and parents to thrive, but our regional communities too,” Ms Ritchie said.
Further, the RAI’s Maranoa and Western Downs Childcare Study found a lack of childcare also impacted some parents’ ability to achieve financial stability, as well as their health and wellbeing. The report also found staffing was a significant issue within the sector, with limited availability of relief educators. Whilst this research was focused on one specific area, its findings resonate across regional Australia.
This year, the RAI has also made recommendations to the Federal Government about the ECEC sector including as part of the Productivity Commission’s Early Childhood Education and Care Inquiry, Jobs and Skills Australia’s Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce Capacity Study, and the Thrive by Five Early Childhood Guarantee Bill, which calls for 52 weeks of paid parental leave, a minimum standard for maternal and child health checks and 30 hours of accessible and quality ECEC.
Other members of the Access for Every Child Coalition include the National Rural Health Alliance, the Isolated Children’s and Parent’s Association, and Thrive by Five.
For media enquiries contact:
Regional Australia Institute
Melinda Hayter
Ph: 0498 373 300
E: [email protected]