The 2021-22 budget includes funding for 15 hours per week of free preschool education for all children in the year before school. Although in his budget speech, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said there would be $2 billion for preschools, the budget papers specify: ‘the government will provide $1.6 billion over four years from 2021-22 (and $589.0 million […]
Each year ECA prepares a pre-budget submission for the Commonwealth Government to ensure the views of the early childhood education and care sector can be incorporated into the Budget process. In late November 2020, the Assistant Treasurer called for submissions from individuals, businesses and community groups on their priorities for the 2021-22 budget. The 2020 […]
During the COVID-19 crisis phase, all eyes have been on childcare, but preschool is an equally important driver of well-being and economic security for children and parents—and of economic productivity. Research has found for every dollar invested in preschool, Australia receives two dollars back over the course of a child’s life. Preschool is jointly funded by the federal, and […]
Frydenberg may claim education is critical to the prosperity of our country, but his budget does not reflect this. In his first budget speech, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said education was the ‘first defence of the nation […] it is critical to our prosperity, harmony and advancement as a country.’ Frydenberg said funding for government, independent and Catholic […]
What a difference a year makes. Last year’s federal Budget included a $3.5 billion investment to begin a new system of Child Care Subsidies in the new Jobs for Families package. Then, in November last year, we saw changes to the package to cut the subsidy rate for high income earners to 20 per cent – reducing the package by […]
Two reports released last week provide valuable information to assess the Government’s proposed Jobs for Families Childcare Package. Samantha Page, CEO of Early Childhood Australia, calls on the Federal Government to amend the Package Bill to ensure that all three and four year olds in Australia will be able to access early childhood education. Early Childhood […]
