Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know firsthand that juggling raising young children with working outside the home means life can get intensely busy. However, this is a call to all those in Chisholm and across Australia, if you know someone who may be eligible to benefit from our childcare reforms by making the switch before 2 July, to visit education.gov.au/childcare and follow the prompts to make the transition. Chisholm parents wanting to take advantage of these reforms need to opt in. I urge parents and carers to sign up now to the new system, and I remind them that there's only one more week to sign up.

I know from speaking to the many parents with young children across Chisholm, whether they work part time or full time in business or retail, as teachers, nurses or otherwise, that the logistics and cost of child care are things that need to be factored into their daily lives and budgets. The Turnbull government understands that families are the backbone of our society and that, every day, parents are making choices in the best interests of their family. Our childcare package helps families by giving them the opportunities to get ahead. For some, access to child care can mean the difference between working and not working. Unlike before, there is more affordable access to child care, and this puts the opportunity of work within reach for so many families. We are targeting support to people working the most and earning the least, and it's estimated our reforms will provide more choice for around 5,000 families in Chisholm, which can save local families up to $1,300 per child.

Our reforms truly provide for all Australian families by including a childcare safety net to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds or with additional needs such as disability, and to ensure that families who do not meet the activity test or are below the threshold can have access to 24 hours of subsidised care per fortnight and can look for employment or more work, and that their children have access to early learning opportunities.

Having been a working mum since my kids were little, I know firsthand how busy life can get, as I said at the outset, and how important affordable and accessible child care is to families who are balancing work and family commitments. Of course, I encourage mums and dads and carers in Chisholm who may need assistance in transitioning to the new program to contact my office, and I or my lovely staff members will be more than happy to be of assistance.