The Federal Government’s legislation to guarantee three days a week of early childhood education and care will create opportunities for children and families in regional Australia, according to Royal Far West.
CEO, Jacqui Emery welcomed the bill and called on all parties to support it.
“High quality early learning and care helps set kids in the regions up for life. But, regional families face real barriers to accessing care,” Ms Emery said.
“One of the most significant barriers is the Activity Test applied to the Child Care Subsidy, which puts families in a double bind, unable to access care for their young children if they are not working, but unable to work because they have no access to care.
“This means not only is it impossible for parents to earn a living, children miss out on the potentially life-altering benefits of early education.
“Children who have the opportunity to access early learning and support for their healthy development are shown to be more engaged at school, to be more likely to finish school, go on to further education and to participate in the workforce. They are less likely to have mental health issues and come into contact with the justice system.
“Too many country children are starting school behind and will struggle to catch up. We know that country kids are twice as likely as city kids to start school developmentally vulnerable.
“High quality early education is the best opportunity to identify issues early, provide support and help reduce this inequity and reverse this worrying trend.
“By removing the Activity Test and guaranteeing all children an entitlement to three days of early learning, we can help children get the best start and parents to get a head start.
“The lives of children living in our regional, rural and remote areas are too important to be a partisan issue, and we hope to see all parties support the bill,” Ms Emery said.