Dear ACA Members,

Since becoming the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education in 2016, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet with many early childhood education service providers, owners, teachers, educators, advocates and students.

Everyone I’ve spoken with knows the transformative nature of early education. Two years of preschool, in particular, is not just an investment in the future of our children, but a prudent investment in our communities – supporting parents, improving outcomes in later life, and underpinning healthy communities and their economies.   

We have seen the Early Childhood Education and Care sector in NSW face a number of challenges in recent years, and too often these challenges have been caused or worsened by the current Government and its misplaced priorities.

If Labor is elected to government this year, we will inherit a system where NSW parents pay the highest long day care fees in the country whilst many service providers struggle to make ends meet. Something doesn’t add up and too many children are missing out.

As I’m sure you would agree, the lack of genuine engagement with your sector has led to poor government decisions, and poor early learning outcomes. The NSW Auditor General found that the NSW Liberal-National Government underspent the early childhood budget by more than $350 million – that’s money that should have been invested in your services, staff and children, but wasn’t. We also know that the NSW Government forfeited another $150 million in Commonwealth funding because they failed to improve enrolment rates.

Services in NSW are not being supported to achieve. A centre in NSW can wait more than five years between National Quality Standards inspections. This delay fails to give centres an opportunity to learn from the rating process, implement improvements and be recognised for their successes.

Because of these issues, I am confident that only a Labor Government can make the early childhood education sector fairer for parents, providers and children.

I know this because Labor is committed to early education and its transformative power.  

If elected to government this year, these will be my priorities:

• I will start genuine consultation with the sector. This is essential to rebuild the trust eroded by the current Government, and will guide the implementation of policies to build a fairer system.
• Give the sector a voice at the highest level. I have committed to establish a Ministerial Advisory Panel on Early Childhood Education, with representatives from across the sector. These early education leaders will have a direct voice in the decision making process and will help address emerging issues on an ongoing basis.
• Closer links with schools. Labor has committed that all new public primary schools will have a preschool, long day care, or before and after school care centre on site. In selecting the service type, the needs of the community will be paramount.
• Supporting all children. Federal and State Labor governments will work together to support all children to gain an early education.  

These policies – of greater and more genuine consultation, building closer links with schools, and improving access for all children – will set NSW on the right path towards a fairer early childhood education system for all.

Kate Washington MP

Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education