11 JulChildcare inquiry Interim Report released
Infographic source: ACCC Childcare Inquiry Interim Report, June 2023, page 18.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Childcare Inquiry released its Interim Report on July 5. ELAA engaged with the ACCC earlier in the year to advise them of the intricacies relating to the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector including the barriers faced by families and communities in accessing quality care.
The Interim Report provides interesting insights into how fees increase with provider density. There’s new data on who charges more by sector and provider size. The ACCC report found links between higher fees and quality – and confirmed that access to quality is more limited for lower socio-economic and non-metropolitan communities. There’s also interesting data that (after accessibility) parents most value quality and safety in education and care.
ELAA’s acting CEO, Megan O’Connell, analysed the Interim Report and found that there were a number of unanswered questions including what levels of investment and what types of policy mechanisms are needed (and where) so all children can access quality ECEC.
We encourage you to read Megan’s analysis on LinkedIn, please CLICK HERE.
