Australia ‘failing’ on childcare quality issues
Australia has failed to create a “comprehensive, systematic solution” to quality problems in early childhood education, a major industry body says.
A Senate inquiry into the troubled sector will meet in Melbourne on Tuesday, seeking views from industry, parents and policy experts as it continues to investigate quality and safety in the country’s early childhood education and care system.
The investigation, launched in August, was sparked by calls for reform following a series of high-profile scandals including allegations of sexual abuse, unnecessary restrictions and poor quality food in the industry.
In its submission to the inquiry, the Australian Early Learning Association said changes to allow the federal government to cut aid from subsidy providers if they fail to meet safety standards were a “welcome step” but did not go far enough.
Since the changes, lawsuits have been filed against 30 services out of more than 15,000 subsidy-approved operators in Australia.
This amounts to less than 0.2 percent of the industry.
“This is not a comprehensive, systemic solution to quality. Quality needs to be more than ensuring minimum levels of child safety,” said the association, which represents more than 1,300 mostly nonprofit providers.
Another group to testify, the Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations of NSW, warned that corporate interests were outpacing community-based players in the industry.
He blamed tendering and licensing policies for the trend in NSW, which he said was “in favor of multi-site operators”.
“This trend towards corporatised consolidation has also been evident in other states, particularly Victoria and Western Australia, raising concerns about the erosion of quality, safety and local participation,” the association said in a submission. he said.
The Australian Industry Group, an employers’ organisation, warned that due to changes in industrial relations, companies were “devoting significant amounts of time and money to ensuring compliance and preventing inadvertent non-compliance”.
In his presentation, he cited the introduction of wage theft laws as a change that places a greater compliance burden on employers, potentially preventing them from providing “best quality and safety outcomes.”
Public hearings will move to Brisbane and Canberra next week and the investigation is expected to report by the end of March.
