‘I can finally see a future’: On the path to universal early education

In my first week as Minister for Early Childhood Education, I stopped in to meet educators and children at a busy early learning centre.

22-year-old Talitha told me with a big smile, “I can finally see a future.”

She was talking about our 15 per cent pay rise, one of the key pillars of building universal early education in Australia.

With a prime minister who wants to be remembered for universal childcare, and a 57 per cent majority women government, early education is not just on the agenda, it is already in motion.

For too long, early childhood educators have loved their work – work that builds the foundations of learning and development for our youngest Australians – but love doesn’t pay the bills.

Educators like Talitha, who once juggled multiple jobs just to get by, now have stability and a vision for a future in the sector.

“I’m now able to significantly save,” Talitha shares, following the first installment of the pay boost.

“It helped with my mortgage, and it means less stress at the supermarket – I can buy the brand names!”

And the first pay installment is also a catalyst for broader change in the sector.

Already online job advertisement rates are down 28 per cent in the past 12 months.

With increased wages and recognition, educators like Talitha are able to stay in the sector they love.

For too long, workforce turnover has been high.

As Talitha explains, “people love the children, but other jobs pay better – so that’s why they leave.”

“When staff change, it’s stressful for the workers, and it’s not good for the kids.”

Better pay means higher retention for the profession, creating a steady environment and better outcomes for children and families.

And creating a stable workforce paves the way for our plans to expand access to quality early education, starting with our 3 Day Guarantee.

Today some families are locked out of early learning due to work and study requirements.

The 3 Day Guarantee will replace this activity test to provide at least three days of subsidies for early education for families who need it.

And our Cheaper Child Care policy is already delivering more affordable education for more than one million Australian families.

Alongside this, the Government is investing over $1 billion in the Building Early Education Fund, to build and expand in areas of need, including in the outer suburbs and regional Australia.

These centres will be co-located on school sites wherever possible and run by high quality non-profit providers.

Talitha welcomes this investment, explaining “it’s important children have access to education at this stage in their life – so that when they grow up, they can have the same opportunities and same outcomes as everyone else.”

As early education services expand, quality will be at the forefront.

While the vast majority of services meet or exceed quality standards, a small number of operators fail to provide quality care and a safe environment.

“This job is about caring for children, and it’s about giving children the best start in life, so when people don’t do that, it makes me feel betrayed,” Talitha says.

There is no place for providers who put profit over children’s safety in this sector.

That is why we will strengthen Commonwealth powers to prevent providers that persistently fail to meet minimum standards from expanding, and to restrict their access to the Child Care Subsidy when appropriate.

We want to make sure that families can feel confident sending their children to early education knowing that providers are offering quality and safety.

As Minister, I’m looking forward to the work ahead in building the pillars of universal early education.

So, we can build a sector where children have universal access to high quality early learning no matter their postcode, and where dedicated educators like Talitha can flourish.