Govt must not delay reforms to child care sector

Posted by Steve on July 3, 2011

The Australian Greens have welcomed the Productivity Commission’s report into the early childhood education and care workforce and hope it results in necessary improvements to the sector.

“The Opposition wants delays on the required reforms to the sector, but we say the brakes should not be applied,” the Greens’ early childhood education and care spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said today.

“We agree with the Productivity Commission’s draft findings that government should help pay for the cost increases associated with improving staffing to children ratios and boosting the skills of those staff.

“The Greens call on the federal government to conduct an independent cost-benefit analysis with the end goal of creating a more affordable child-care sector.

“We believe the government should carry the costs and not pass them on to parents, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds who can least afford rising child care fees.

“The Greens also note the federal government’s long-term goal of lifting the level of people from lower socio-economic backgrounds who attain tertiary education and believe starting with the early childhood education and care sector is crucial to achieving this.”