“Safe early childhood education and care is critical for early development, laying the foundation for cognitive growth, emotional well-being, social skills and lifelong learning. Without safe and secure childcare centres, the benefits of early learning cannot be realised,” said Royal Far West CEO Jacqui Emery.
Ms Emery stressed that rural, regional and remote communities would particularly benefit from the establishment of a National Early Childhood Commission with strong enforcement powers.
“Unsafe settings undermine the trust, stability and nurturing relationships that children need to thrive,” Ms Emery said. “This is especially true for country children, who already face barriers to accessing consistent, high-quality care.
“When safety is compromised, the developmental opportunities that early learning provides are lost. Providers that routinely breach safety and quality standards must be held accountable, and the Government’s bill to strip them of federal funding is a step towards that.
“However, the measure alone will not address the broader, systemic challenges facing Australia’s early childhood education and care system.
“To ensure consistent enforcement of our world-leading safety standards and better coordination between state, territory and federal governments, we need a National Early Childhood Commission.
“A national commission would provide the coordinated leadership necessary to ensure safety and quality as we expand early learning access across Australia. For rural, regional and remote communities, this stewardship is absolutely critical.
“In many of these areas, there are few – if any – alternative childcare providers to choose from, and the closure of even one centre can have a ripple effect across families and local workforce.
“Therefore, we need strong oversight that prevents safety breaches from occurring in the first place, rather than just responding after the fact.
“This term of government will also see the rollout of the billion-dollar Building Early Education Fund, which is expected to create thousands of new childcare places in rural, regional and remote areas.
“A National Early Childhood Commission would provide the national stewardship required to oversee this expansion while maintaining strict safety and quality standards.
“Every Australian child, regardless of where they live, deserves access to safe, high-quality early learning. A National Commission can help make that a reality.
“We urge the Federal Government to make the establishment of a National Early Childhood Commission a top priority in this term’s reform agenda,” Ms Emery said.