Early Learning Policy Explainer for Families

As Canberra’s largest provider of early education and care, Communities at Work is committed to championing the rights and ambitions of children and families.

Communities at Work Taylor Child Care and Education Centre - Ascend Graduate Educators

Now, more than ever, our economic growth and our growth as a community depends on accessible, affordable, quality Education and Care.  We want families to be informed about the policies that will impact their children’s learning and development.

Communities at Work’s CEO Lee Maiden has been working in education and care in the Canberra community sector for over 30 years. Commenting on the election, Lee said,

 Communities at Work supports policies that improve the accessibility and affordability of Early Education of Care for families and support our valuable educators.

We know that affordable, accessible, high-quality early learning makes a lifelong impact on children and investing in the early years pays dividends throughout their lives.  

Improving the affordability and accessibility of high-quality early learning will ensure more children and families can access and engage in Education and Care and deliver a triple dividend. It will improve outcomes for children, increase workforce participation (especially for women), and result in long-term productivity gains by contributing to a more skilled workforce.

To achieve these outcomes, training and maintaining a workforce of valued and supported educators is essential. While Communities at Work already pays above award wages; we support improving wages for all educators and providing ongoing investment in training and developing a valued and robust workforce.”

As a member of the Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA), Communities at Work is sharing an early learning policy explainer to provide families with information on these important issues. The policy explainer will help families understand the positions of the major parties in Australia, ahead of the Australian Federal Election.

View the ELACCA Policy Explainer for Families here.


The CEO of ELACCA, Elizabeth Death, said,

We know that early learning and care is such an important issue for Australian families. The quality, accessibility and cost of early learning and care matter enormously to parents and carers and should matter in the next Parliament.

When it comes time to vote, we want families to think about which candidates will support their children’s learning and development. Our policy explainer pulls together commitments from the LaborParty, the Coalition and The Greens, so that families can compare campaign promises.

*Extract from Media Release by ELACCA.

Elacca policy explainer


ABOUT ELACCA

The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) promotes the value of quality early learning and care as an integral part of Australia’s education system. ELACCA members operate 1,902 long day care services, 373 preschool/kindergarten services and 67 OSHC services, covering every state and territory.

They offer one-quarter of all the long day care places in Australia. Together, ELACCA members serve 336,000 children and their families, and employ more than 53,000 staff. As well as promoting the value of quality early learning and the need for greater public investment, ELACCA advocates for the right of all children to access quality early learning and care, particularly children facing disadvantage.

Find out more at elacca.org.au

 

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