BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

JUNE 21, 2024

Several state governments have handed down their 2024-25 Budgets, and although each government does things its own way, families are front of mind everywhere, and there’s extra money being allocated for early childhood education and care (ECEC).  

For instance: 

• In Queensland, the 2024-25 Budget confirms that the government is spending $26.2 million to extend free kindy up to 30 hours per week for four-year-olds in ‘discrete communities’. They’re also chipping in $42.7 million for Family Support Coordinators in primary schools to help littlies transition confidently from early childhood to big school. 
  
  

• In Victoria, the government is building on its mammoth investment in ECEC, with an additional $129 million being spent to continue the delivery of Free Kinder and statewide roll out of universal Three-Year-Old Kinder. 
  
  

• While in New South Wales, the government has promised to keep providing fee relief for preschool families, and is continuing work on its 100 new public preschools, with the first due to open in Western Sydney later this year. $60 million is also being invested in new and upgraded non-government preschools.  
  

However, South Australia has delivered the greatest state budgetary news so far, with the announcement of a big spend, and even bigger vision, for ECEC. 

All up, the government is investing an extra $1.9 billion into early childhood services and support in the years leading up to 2032-33; and this includes a $339.7 million spend over five years to deliver universal three-year-old preschool. 

This ‘preschool-for-all’ will be offered in both government and non-government settings, including long day care centres, and the aim is to give every South Australian child access to a quality, teacher-led, play-based preschool program from the age of three.  

To ensure that there will be enough educators and places to support universal preschool, this reform will be rolled out gradually from 2026 to 2032, with hours and locations expanding over time.

The government will also spend $96.6 million over four years to grow and support SA’s early childhood workforce; and a similar amount will be spent to support the Office for Early Childhood Development, which will be a ‘steward’ of the state’s early childhood development system.  

You can read all the details here to see where other money is being wisely spent. 

However, the main thing to know is that by 2032, every child in South Australia will be able to access 15 hours per week of preschool in the two years before big school; and the government has a 20-year plan to reduce children’s developmental vulnerability from 23.8% to 15%. 

Of course, the federal government is also deeply invested in ECEC and interested in a universal offering.  

After overhauling the Child Care Subsidy system last year, our leaders are now actively seeking ways to make quality ECEC affordable and accessible for all families.  

In February 2023, Treasurer Jim Chalmers asked the Productivity Commission to undertake an inquiry into the ECEC sector, and went on record saying, ‘The government is committed to identifying solutions that will chart the course for universal, affordable ECEC – in the great tradition of universal Medicare and universal superannuation.’ 

The Productivity Commission’s final report will be handed to the government on 1 July 2024, then shared publicly later this year.

Our government will take its recommendations on board (plus those of the ACCC) when deciding what the next best steps are for ECEC in this country. 

In the meantime, the prospect of super cheap childcare is very appealing, and it’s great to see that Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese isn’t adverse to the idea. 

Because, although money isn’t everything, it definitely makes a difference to the ECEC we can access and enjoy in this nation.