Fees Down, Applications Up
There’s good news for parents, educators and providers, with new data showing a significant childcare cost saving for families, and lots of people keen to work in early childhood education and care.
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
Childcare is a big cost for Australian families, and centre vacancies aren’t always easy to come by, but there’s good news in the world of early childhood education and care!
New figures from the Department of Education show that families have saved up to $2,768 since September 2023, thanks to increased childcare subsidies.
The $2,768 figure is based on a family earning $120,000 per year and paying the average quarterly fee for 30 hours of childcare per week, which stands at around $411.
This saving definitely isn’t to be sneezed at, and although some families get a lot of Child Care Subsidy support, and others less, the government is committed to building an affordable and accessible childcare system for all.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government is, “Putting in place the building blocks for a universal childcare system, while providing immediate cost of living relief.”
It’s great to see their current childcare policy saving 1,000,000+ families real money, and provided they’re re-elected, the Albanese government has promised three days of guaranteed subsidised childcare, from January 2026, for families earning up to $530,000 per year.
The Labor government has also pledged $1 billion to build or expand more than 160 early learning centres in the areas that need them most, with centres located near schools due to be prioritised.
For now, there’s also positive news around childcare employment.
Recent job figures show that the number of online job ads for early childhood education and care staff has dropped 22% since December 2023, making them the lowest they’ve been in three years.
This is a great sign that childcare providers are succeeding in retaining rather than losing staff, and there’s also a buzz around job applications.
Figures from Goodstart Early Learning, Australia’s biggest childcare employer, show that job applications are up 30% and vacancy rates are down by 28%.
This is really positive for families, educators, centres and the whole sector; and Education Minister, Jason Clare says, “This shows our 15% pay rise for early educators is working. Applications are up and job vacancies are down.”
The 15% government-funded pay rise over two years has certainly begun to give educators the financial and psychological boost they need.
And with a federal election coming, and cost of living pressures continuing, childcare remains front-of-mind for many – including us parents and Prime Minister Albanese!
