Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Moncrieff for her very important motion. The positive impact of quality early childhood education cannot be overstated. It is simply transformational. Kids who receive educational care earlier are better equipped for the challenges that life throws at them. It sets them up for success at home, at school and throughout their life. A resilient early childhood education sector is also a game changer for parents and carers, particularly in regional, rural and remote communities. When high-quality child care is available, parents can choose to return to work sooner or work more days per week. At a time when the cost of living is so high, access to child care makes it easier to provide for a family. If we get more parents working, we can help to address workforce shortages in areas such as teaching, health care, construction and so many others. Regional workforces are under so much pressure, and affordable and available child care is one of the best tools we will ever have to fill the jobs we need. Unfortunately, though, this is not the reality across most of Australia.

In rural and regional Australia, childcare deserts—areas where there are three children for every childcare place— are everywhere. Just last week, new ABS data showed that a lack of child care is the No. 1 reason stopping women from entering or re-entering the workforce. When families can't access child care, women pay the price, losing out on career progression, superannuation accrual and social connection. It has consequences for the family budget and for the opportunities offered to that beautiful, developing child. This system is failing us. That's why in mid-July I hosted two play date events in my electorate with the Parenthood, one of Australia's leading advocacy groups for a better and fairer childcare system. I want to thank Maddy Butler and the Parenthood for their commitment to addressing regional childcare shortages and their engagement with the people in my electorate of Indi.

Our play date events were an opportunity to go beyond the statistics and hear from parents, grandparents and carers directly what childcare shortages mean for parents in my electorate and what they want to see done differently. I thank all the parents and carers who came out to the Wangaratta and Wodonga libraries and those who wrote to me to share their stories. But what I'm hearing has me seriously concerned and reinforces exactly what the experts and the numbers are saying. I heard from parents who've lost track of the number of waitlists their child is on and have been forced to wait for years for a place to become available. I heard from parents driving hours every day to get their kids to where a spot is available, meaning only one parent can work full time. I heard from grandparents who have given up work so they can step in to provide child care, because otherwise their own adult children would be in financial trouble.

Frankly, something has to change. While I commend the government for increasing the childcare subsidy, which is critical, and for its commitment to fund a wage rise for early childhood educators, which is so desperately deserved, more urgent action is required. We need to do more to train passionate and skilled early childhood educators. Recent research by the Australian Education Research Organisation shows that one of the greatest indicators of success in the first year of school is the quality of early childhood educators in that period. That is why it is so crucial and so fundamental that we support more Australians to build a career in this sector and that we value and recognise the life-changing impact this work has. That means paying early childhood educators more, and I support the government's commitment to fund the 15 per cent wage rise for employees. It means exploring all options to ensure more Australians study early childhood education and teaching in regional areas. This could involve expanding access to fee-free courses in regional centres and making sure that placements prepare, extend and develop the educators of the future. Finally, it could mean funding local governments and not-for-profits to provide childcare services in regional towns and communities where the for-profit sector won't fill the gap. This will require leadership by government, but, if we're to create truly universal access to childhood education in regional Australia, it might be what is needed.

I'm inspired by the work of organisations such as Thrive by Five, the Parenthood, the Mitchell Institute and the Centre for Policy Development who are showing us that a better childcare system is possible. But I would also like to note the commitment of my state counterpart, Annabelle Cleeland, the Nationals member for Euroa, for her ongoing engagement with me to address childcare shortages in north-east Victoria. Universal child care is a policy I support. (Time expired)

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