20 February 2015
“As stated by the Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison, the current review on childcare is the first of its kind since the 1990s. Right now is the time for us to make the best decisions for the future of Australian children and families. It’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss,” states Bernie Nott, Chief Executive Officer of ECMS.
“We must choose to invest more, not less, in early childhood education and care – especially for those children and families who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community. Further investment now will mean significant economic and social returns for years to come.”
“We’re very pleased to see that Universal Access to 15 hours of kindergarten for four year olds is recommended in the report and we strongly suggest that the Government provides certainty on this matter as soon as possible. Access to high quality educational programs in early childhood is vital for all children.”
“Unfortunately, vulnerable and at-risk children and families tend to participate the least in early childhood education and care services, yet they are the ones set to gain the most.”
“We look forward to being involved in the critical consultation process that Minister Scott Morrison is undertaking,” Bernie says.
"Increased investment in early childhood not only improves outcomes for families and communities, it also significantly benefits Australian businesses through higher workforce participation. The Productivity Commission report findings are reinforced by a ground-breaking study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) – Putting a value on early childhood education and care which identified the important long-term economic and productivity gains of further investment. PwC estimated cumulative benefits of almost $30 billion to the Australian economy by continuing to lift quality standards and increase participation amongst children who are vulnerable and at-risk.
Bernie explains: “These are big, important, lasting decisions. It is time for the Government to seize this opportunity and make a real difference for Australian families through further investment in the early years.”
Media Enquiries:
Angie Farrugia – GM, Communications
0422 929 450 / afarrugia@ecms.org.au