WEBVTT - Making childcare universal: Will it be an election secret weapon?

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<v Speaker 1>When you meet parents of children five and under, they

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<v Speaker 1>usually do have some difficulty in getting the care they

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<v Speaker 1>need for the children.

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<v Speaker 2>They have on the days they need it.

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<v Speaker 1>This is why women in Australia, despite being so well

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<v Speaker 1>educated and highly skilled, are just not represented in the workforce.

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<v Speaker 2>The way men are. This is a structural barrier.

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<v Speaker 1>And my husband and I were really struck at the

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<v Speaker 1>time by the fact that there just wasn't anything we

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<v Speaker 1>could do individually to change it.

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<v Speaker 2>It was clear to us that there wasn't an easy fix.

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<v Speaker 3>From Schwartz Media. I'm Ashlin McGee. This is seven am.

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<v Speaker 3>There's no nice way to put it. Child care is stuffed.

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<v Speaker 3>Just to ask anyone with kids, it's prohibitively expensive. Getting

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<v Speaker 3>the days you're after is like winning the lottery. And

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<v Speaker 3>then even if you do get some kind of government subsidy,

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<v Speaker 3>you have the pleasure and joy of hours of your

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<v Speaker 3>life on the phone to Centealek and trying to sort

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<v Speaker 3>through the reams of paperwork. We're at a critical point though,

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<v Speaker 3>where the government is promising a huge overhaul and the

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<v Speaker 3>Prime Minister just said he's open to reducing the cost

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<v Speaker 3>to just ten dollars per kid per day. Today the

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<v Speaker 3>Parenthood's Georgie Danton, why the system's so broken and the

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<v Speaker 3>Center for Policy Development's cuto born on one way to

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<v Speaker 3>fix it. It's Wednesday, June nineteenth, Georgie. People who have

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<v Speaker 3>kids get used to this thing where you have to

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<v Speaker 3>put your baby down on a waiting list for a

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<v Speaker 3>childcare service before it's even been born. That's what happened

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<v Speaker 3>in my area. I live in a childcare oasis arratively,

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<v Speaker 3>and it's still like that. We all kind of think

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<v Speaker 3>it's normal and get used to it, but actually, like

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<v Speaker 3>that's not normal at all, is it.

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<v Speaker 2>No, it's not.

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<v Speaker 1>Look some people are really lucky to live in an

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<v Speaker 1>area and have care when they need it, and certainly

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<v Speaker 1>I do know there are Australians who are in that

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<v Speaker 1>fortunate position. I know myself that when my husband and

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<v Speaker 1>I had our first child, we don't have family.

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<v Speaker 2>Who live in Sydney.

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<v Speaker 1>We just assumed that we could easily find a spot

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<v Speaker 1>for her on the days that we needed and it

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<v Speaker 1>was an actual nightmare and it took us about four

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<v Speaker 1>months to find a position for her and the only

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<v Speaker 1>place we could get was in the CBD that neither

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<v Speaker 1>my husband or I.

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<v Speaker 2>Worked in a CBD, so we had to take her.

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<v Speaker 1>Into the city by bus and then sort of make

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<v Speaker 1>our way to our own places of work. That was

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<v Speaker 1>sort of twenty minutes outside of the CBD and that

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<v Speaker 1>was thirteen years ago, and it was one hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>sixty five dollars a day, So even with the childcare subsidy,

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<v Speaker 1>we were spending more on our day care fees than

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<v Speaker 1>we were paying on rent, which in a city like

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<v Speaker 1>Sydney is pretty impressive because it is an expensive place.

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<v Speaker 1>But really that was part of the experience I had

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<v Speaker 1>that I guess put me on a path where I

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<v Speaker 1>was very keen to advocate for this to be different.

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<v Speaker 3>What are the major structural problems as you see them?

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<v Speaker 1>So we know that for parents in Australia they struggle

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<v Speaker 1>with two main issues when it comes to early childhood

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<v Speaker 1>education and care, and they are being able to access

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<v Speaker 1>care that is suitable and then being able to afford

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<v Speaker 1>that care.

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<v Speaker 2>And we have got a situation.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's estimated that thirty five percent of families in

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<v Speaker 1>Australia live in a childcare desert, which is described as

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<v Speaker 1>a place where there are three or more children for

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<v Speaker 1>every available position within a twenty minute drive, and it's

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<v Speaker 1>not surprising that childcare deserts are more sort of congregated

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<v Speaker 1>in rural, regional, remote areas, but it's interesting that there

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<v Speaker 1>are actually childcare deserts in every Sea capital city as well.

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<v Speaker 1>And then the other issue that a lot of families

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<v Speaker 1>face is that the cost of care is quite prohibitive.

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<v Speaker 1>So we do have a childcare subsidy, which means parents

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<v Speaker 1>are entitled to some of the fee being subsidized by

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<v Speaker 1>the federal government.

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<v Speaker 2>But for a lot of.

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<v Speaker 1>Families they're paying out of pocket more than one hundred

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<v Speaker 1>dollars a day. And if you've got two children, you

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<v Speaker 1>can see how quickly that adds up. And so at

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<v Speaker 1>the parenthood we often describe it as the sort of

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<v Speaker 1>cost of working crisis because a lot of families. We

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<v Speaker 1>polled about twelve hundred families with children under six in October,

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<v Speaker 1>and eighty five percent said that they need two incomes

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<v Speaker 1>to meet the cost of living, but a huge proportion

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<v Speaker 1>also said that the cost of childcare is so high

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<v Speaker 1>that they're not working as much as they would.

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<v Speaker 2>Like to work. You can see how the cost.

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<v Speaker 1>Of living crisis meets the cost of working crisis for

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<v Speaker 1>families and it creates a huge amount of financial pressure.

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<v Speaker 3>So where did it all go so wrong? How do

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<v Speaker 3>we end up in this position?

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<v Speaker 1>We have got a really fragmented early childhood education and

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<v Speaker 1>care system in Australia, and I mean a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people would make the point, and they do make this

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<v Speaker 1>point that if you had a blank piece of paper,

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<v Speaker 1>you would not draw the system that we've.

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<v Speaker 4>Got now, I said by a thoughtful municipal council. It

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<v Speaker 4>provides a baby parking station where mothers can keep their

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<v Speaker 4>offspring while they do the weekly shopping or pay a

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<v Speaker 4>visit to the dentist. You can leave your baby body

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<v Speaker 4>r or by the day, but not permanently.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, Once upon a time, childcare was really only

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<v Speaker 1>something that single parents needed, single mothers in particular, and

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<v Speaker 1>so there were sort of limited options available.

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<v Speaker 5>One third of Australia's five and a half million workforce

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<v Speaker 5>are women. Sixty percent of those are married women, which

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<v Speaker 5>doesn't mean they're liberated. It could mean that they work

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<v Speaker 5>one hundred hours a week in two jobs, one underpaid

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<v Speaker 5>and the other at home not paid at all.

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<v Speaker 1>And then that definitely changed in the eighties and the

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<v Speaker 1>early nineties when women working really changed the workforce changed dramatically.

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<v Speaker 5>Hello and welcome to the very first edition of Women

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<v Speaker 5>on the Line, the national program of women's news.

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<v Speaker 3>And current affairs.

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<v Speaker 2>Things such as childcare is a classic example.

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<v Speaker 3>In the end, women end up having to take on

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<v Speaker 3>the responsibility for childcare, and so in the end women

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<v Speaker 3>take it up as an issue as well.

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<v Speaker 1>There was a radical shift in the number of women

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<v Speaker 1>working and that has necessitated early education and care being

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<v Speaker 1>needed more.

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<v Speaker 6>Our children's Services program will provide for the very needs

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<v Speaker 6>of children and is essential to enable parents to play

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<v Speaker 6>a fuller part in our society. We will allocate twenty

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<v Speaker 6>million dollars extra for childcare in our first budget.

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<v Speaker 1>And we have got a whole lot of sort of

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<v Speaker 1>complexities in what a family can have access to when

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<v Speaker 1>they have a baby. And we also do have a

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<v Speaker 1>situation where you have got some preschools that are run,

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<v Speaker 1>you've got family daycare, you've got long day care services,

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<v Speaker 1>you've got a for profit market, you've got a not

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<v Speaker 1>for profit market. But it's not meeting the needs of

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<v Speaker 1>enough children and enough families the current system that we have.

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<v Speaker 1>So some works that has been done recently by the

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<v Speaker 1>Center for Policy Development proposes a new model where every

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<v Speaker 1>child is entitled to access at least three days a

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<v Speaker 1>week of quality early learning. This would be a radically

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<v Speaker 1>different system for children, but also for parents and families.

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<v Speaker 3>After the break, what a reimagine childcare system might look like,

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<v Speaker 3>cad Oburn, thanks so much for joining us today.

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<v Speaker 7>Thank you so much for having me.

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<v Speaker 3>The way we do childcare in this country in the

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<v Speaker 3>future is being decided at the moment, and you've been

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<v Speaker 3>looking at whether there is a chance to totally reimagine

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<v Speaker 3>the system. Tell me more about that.

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<v Speaker 7>I am very confident that we'll see something happen here.

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<v Speaker 7>The Prime Minister and many of his ministers have made

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<v Speaker 7>it really clear that this is a priority for his

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<v Speaker 7>government and they clearly want to leave a legacy.

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<v Speaker 4>For me.

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<v Speaker 8>The principle is very simple. Early education is vital for

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<v Speaker 8>children's future, and childcare is an essential service for families,

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<v Speaker 8>but as well for the economy.

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<v Speaker 7>We have already seen some movement with a commitment to

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<v Speaker 7>wage increases for early childhood workers, and more their commitment

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<v Speaker 7>to supporting families through changes to paid parental.

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<v Speaker 8>Leave and the mission we will set for the Productivity Commission,

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<v Speaker 8>which will be asked to report in the first term

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<v Speaker 8>of a labor government is to investigate moving to a

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<v Speaker 8>ninety percent subsidy for childcare for every Australian family.

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<v Speaker 7>And the reports from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

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<v Speaker 7>and the Productivity Commission should be giving them really concrete

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<v Speaker 7>recommendations to build from.

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<v Speaker 9>A major policy reform like Medicare, superannuation and free public education.

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<v Speaker 9>Childcare currently twice as expensive in Australia compared to other

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<v Speaker 9>developed nations, so.

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<v Speaker 7>What we're wanting to do is reposition the system to

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<v Speaker 7>be universal, like schooling or medicare, where all children have

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<v Speaker 7>access and those who need greater support really receive it.

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<v Speaker 7>So we're recommending a number of reforms to create what

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<v Speaker 7>we see is a really truly universal system. So it

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<v Speaker 7>includes a legislated entitlement for all children to access a

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<v Speaker 7>minimum of three days of education in care a week

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<v Speaker 7>at a low set fee or at no cost, so

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<v Speaker 7>a low set fee could be something like ten dollars

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<v Speaker 7>a day. We also recommend shifting to what we're calling

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<v Speaker 7>a child centered funding model, so the current childcare subsidy

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<v Speaker 7>would cease and our child centered funding model would be established.

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<v Speaker 2>For all children.

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<v Speaker 7>There would be greater investment in Aboriginal community controlled sector

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<v Speaker 7>and ensuring that services are inclusive and culturally responsive environments,

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<v Speaker 7>that they offer services where all children and families feel welcomed.

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<v Speaker 10>And comfortable In mind, though, what do you make of

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<v Speaker 10>this report out today? It's from the Center for Policy

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<v Speaker 10>Development Childcare three days of free childcare for disadvantage families

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<v Speaker 10>others thirty bucks.

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<v Speaker 8>Well, this is an important contribution to the policity. Bat

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<v Speaker 8>Web made child care cheaper for more than one million

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<v Speaker 8>Australian families. And we know that early education is so

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<v Speaker 8>important for our youngest Australians to develop their social skills

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<v Speaker 8>and to prepare for school, and that it also helps

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<v Speaker 8>with productivity by allowing mums and dads to be back

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<v Speaker 8>at work if they choose to do so.

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<v Speaker 3>So all of this sounds great, but also really expensive.

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<v Speaker 3>Can we afford it?

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<v Speaker 2>So?

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<v Speaker 7>We understand that it would cost probably around seven billion

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<v Speaker 7>per year once fully implemented, which is in line with

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<v Speaker 7>what was costed in the Productivity Commission. But this doesn't

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<v Speaker 7>take into account the long term savings and returns from

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<v Speaker 7>our model. So we've estimated that three billion dollars in

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<v Speaker 7>additional annual tax revenue and seven billion dollars in an

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<v Speaker 7>annual GDP increases from parents working more hours incentivized by

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<v Speaker 7>free or low cost early childhood education and care. So

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<v Speaker 7>we do need to acknowledge that whatever we do is

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<v Speaker 7>going to require upfront investments in the future of Australians

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<v Speaker 7>children and families. But the other choices that we continue

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<v Speaker 7>to spend thirteen billion dollars annually on a system that

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<v Speaker 7>is failing Australian children and families. But we also just

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<v Speaker 7>know that the benefits, the learning and development benefits that

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<v Speaker 7>children get from their participation that then carries through to

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<v Speaker 7>the rest of their lives. And so it really is

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<v Speaker 7>so critical that this is really invested in and seen

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<v Speaker 7>as such a critical time for both children and their

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<v Speaker 7>development but also to support their families.

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<v Speaker 3>Finally, Georgie, we have this Productivity Commission report coming down

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<v Speaker 3>pretty soon and we know the Labor Government is planning

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<v Speaker 3>to make some big changes in this area. Just give

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<v Speaker 3>me a sense of how significant this moment is. Could

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<v Speaker 3>you have imagine this when you started down this lobbying path,

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<v Speaker 3>however many years ago?

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<v Speaker 1>So I have been the CEO of the Parenthood for

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<v Speaker 1>just on four years, and if four years ago, someone

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<v Speaker 1>had said to me that we would have a prime

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<v Speaker 1>minister saying that universal access to high quality early childhood

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<v Speaker 1>education and.

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<v Speaker 2>Care is a legacy that he would like to leave.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think I would have believed that, Like genuinely,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't think I would have believed that we have

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<v Speaker 1>had over the last couple of years, we have seen

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<v Speaker 1>a really radical shift in the recognition not just from

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<v Speaker 1>the federal government but also from all of the states

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<v Speaker 1>and territories, and that is labor and liberal state governments

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<v Speaker 1>saying we're not doing the early years right and recognizing

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<v Speaker 1>that for both the educational development of children but also

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<v Speaker 1>for the full economic participation of women, we need to

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<v Speaker 1>get the early years right.

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<v Speaker 2>And so it is a really exciting time and.

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<v Speaker 1>It is rare to be on the precipice of something

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<v Speaker 1>where you can really genuinely say this would be once

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<v Speaker 1>in a generation change.

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<v Speaker 3>Georgie, thanks so much for your time and for all

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<v Speaker 3>your work in this space.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 3>Also in the news today, Victoria is set to raise

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<v Speaker 3>the age of criminal responsibility from ten years old, meaning

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<v Speaker 3>children that young will no longer be able to be arrested,

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<v Speaker 3>charged or detained. The new age of criminal responsibility will

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<v Speaker 3>be twelve, with Labor Premier just cinter Allen promising to

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<v Speaker 3>introduce stronger consequences for serious, high risk and repeat youth offenders.

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<v Speaker 3>And the Reserve Bank has left interest rates on hold,

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<v Speaker 3>revealing it now does not believe that inflation will come

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<v Speaker 3>back down to regular levels for some time. The board

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<v Speaker 3>said it wo or anything in a rout, with the

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<v Speaker 3>risk growing that the next change in interest rates could

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<v Speaker 3>be a hike rather than a cut, according to analysts.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm Ashelin McGee. Thanks for your company. We'll see you

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<v Speaker 3>again tomorrow morning.