Rollback of free childcare bets on swift economic recovery and no second pandemic wave

Today’s announcement by the Federal Government to roll back the Childcare Relief Package re-introduces affordability issues for Australian families and could also compromise the financial viability of early childhood education and care providers should the economic outlook worsen or the nation experience further significant COVID-19 related disruption. (more…)

Response to Relief Package review needs to address the big question

The Morrison Government’s response to the four-week review of its Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package brings some welcome extra relief for some services but leaves the big question unanswered – will the relief package continue beyond 28 June? (more…)

Extra cleaning and hygiene funding for kinders is great but more needed

ELAA welcomes the Victorian Government’s announcement of new funding grants to assist funded kindergarten services with cleaning and hygiene costs in Term 2 but looks forward to the grant period being extended and expanded to a wider selection of early childhood education and care services. (more…)

Free sessional kinder in Victoria is just what the doctor ordered

This morning’s announcement by Victorian Minister for Education, James Merlino, of $45 million in extra funding to provide parents with free kindergarten during Term 2 represents a necessary and common-sense response from the Victorian Government. (more…)

Early Childhood sector welcomes Commonwealth relief but now looks to States to bridge kinder gap

ELAA welcomes the announcement of the Commonwealth Government’s Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package that enables families to stay enrolled with their chosen childcare provider during the coronavirus (COVID 19) emergency. (more…)

Governments need to work together to avert the collapse of the early childhood education and care sector

The coronavirus (COVID 19) pandemic has proved a massive disruptor to Australia’s early childhood education and care sector, with increasing service closures, reduced attendance and immediate financial insolvency risks for many service providers. These trends are hugely concerning to an already under-valued early childhood workforce that is facing the prospect of unemployment unless financial support to service providers is made available immediately. (more…)

Richard Marles MP finds out why Early Learning Matters at Bond St Kindergarten

Bond Street Kindergarten in Newtown welcomes the Member for Corio and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Richard Marles MP, to visit on Tuesday, 5 September at 9.30am as part of Early Learning Matters Week, a national initiative of the Early Learning Everyone Benefits campaign. (more…)

Vic Budget delivers on early learning election promises

The 2019/20 Victorian State Budget brings few surprises for Victoria’s early childhood education and care sector with the Government  honouring its key election commitments with around $1 billion in investment. However, the Budget does not appear to directly address a number of pressing issues for the Victorian Early Childhood sector.

Read more about the Vic Budget in our media release

Labor commitments mean a better deal for families and early childhood educators

Two crucial policy announcements by Labor over the weekend – on educator wages and reform of the Child Care Subsidy – go a long way to addressing a number of key reforms that Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA); the Early Learning Everyone Benefits campaign; and other early years peak bodies have been seeking for some time. (more…)

Another Federal Budget ‘Groundhog Day’ for Early Childhood Education and Care

With the release of the 2019/20 Federal Budget, Early Childhood Education and Care service providers, teachers, and parents could be forgiven for thinking they are stuck in the same revolving alternate reality occupied by the Bill Murray character ‘Phil Connors’ in the 1993 film Groundhog Day.

Read more in the media release