Key Points
Working parents want easy access local, affordable childcare so they can go to work and pay the bills. Rebecca White and Labor will make more quality, affordable childcare available at schools, and open childcare centres across the state.
We will do this by creating 50 additional childcare centres in Tasmania:
- 30 new early childhood centres.
- 20 before and after school centres.
Families across Tasmania are facing the worst access to childcare services in the country. They are on multiple waitlists, some for years and the Liberals say they won’t do anything about it.
By contrast, Labor has a plan in the early childhood sector to:
- Build 30 new early childhood centres (0-5yo) on government land or council land they wish to make available.
- Fund 50 Early Childhood Education teaching degrees through our scholarship program.
- Offer $3 million in professional development funding to cover early childhood diplomas and short courses.
- Provide above Award pay and secure jobs.
We will also offer:
- Grants to expand before and after school care in to 20 locations for school kids.
Through this plan we will:
- Create up to 600 more jobs for educators.
- Create an additional 4,500 places in childcare, assisting more than 3,500 Tasmanian families.
- Boost workforce participation, educational outcomes and family budgets.
Why we need it
Tasmania has the lowest average time in care in the nation, across every category of care, as well as the lowest workforce participation rate for men and women.
Almost all of Tasmania has no adequate childcare coverage, especially in the north and northwest.
Tasmanian parents simply can’t get the childcare they need, when they need it.
The Liberals have denied responsibility for this issue and failed to act.
Only Labor can be trusted to work for Tasmanian families.
The details
A Labor Government will provide free access to land and buildings for 30 new early childhood centres, funded through a $75 million capital fund. There will be an open, competitive process for tenders.
Five of the 30 centres will be run as a trial directly by the Government in hard-to-staff school areas, embedding early childhood in to the school system.
We’ll also provide 20 grants of $90,000 grants to expand or establish new Outside School Hours Care services.
A Labor Government will provide free access to land and buildings for 30 new early childhood centres, funded through a $75 million capital fund. There will be an open, competitive process for tenders.
In hard to staff areas like the West Coast, the Government will directly run Centres, embedding early childhood education in to the school system and creating new jobs.
We’ll also provide 20 grants of $90,000 grants to expand or establish new Outside School Hours Care services. The grants will cover things like startup costs, upgrades or transport to a service.
Where will the workers come from?
Labor’s plan will create 600 new jobs in the early childhood sector. To attract and retain these workers we will offer:
- Better pay
- Better conditions
- Free degrees
- Training fund
In exchange for free leases and land, early childhood operators will agree to maintaining above Award pay and conditions for the duration of the lease to support staff retention.
$3 million will be provided to provide fee-free diplomas and professional development short courses for early childhood educators. This will supplement the fee free TAFE already provided for certificate III in early childhood education and care. Short courses will cover things like trauma informed practice and supporting neurodiverse children.
Labor will also offer 50 Early Childhood Education degrees through our existing scholarship program.
Tasmanian Labor is also a strong supporter of the multi-employer bargaining case in the early childhood sector, which if it goes through will mean up to a 25% pay increase for educators.
FAQs
Is this a state responsibility?
Other states realise how important this issue is and step up in the space. Tasmania is well behind.
The Rockliff government spent $9m on child care in 2022-23 - half as much as NSW spent on a per capita basis.
Spending on preschool services was also 20 per cent less than when Labor was in government 10 years ago.
According to Treasury figures, the Rockliff government spent $38.7m on advertising and promotion and $50.2m on travel and transport in the same period.
Why is this an economic policy?
Tasmania’s workforce participation rate sits at just 61.8 per cent, five per cent below the national average.
Labor knows if we can help more people into work it not only helps them but it helps to strengthen our economy.
According to the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, if Tasmania’s participation rate was at the national average over 11,000 jobs would be created, households would be $1,500 better off and the State’s economy would be boosted by $3.7 billion.
How will you pay for it?
Labor’s policies are committed to urgent action on cost of living relief. All of Labor’s policies are fully costed, fully funded and will be sent to Treasury.
Can you really get that many workers?
It is tough to keep Educators in the sector at the moment but we have consulted widely and our plan for better pay, better conditions and free training is endorsed as a credible plan by unions, local councils and the sector.
What do people say about our plan?
“Goodstart welcomes Tasmanian Labor’s early childhood commitments. Our centres are close to full and places are in high demand from families. We would welcome the opportunity to work with a future Tasmanian Government to offer more high quality early learning and care to more Tasmanian families.”
- Dr Ros Baxter, CEO, Goodstart Early Learning
“I’m not sure why anyone would oppose an Early Childhood and Education Care policy that frees up workers. Unlocking women’s participation in work has massive economic advantage. It is good for workers, it is good for individuals, businesses and our community. This policy will elevate Tasmania above the pack. “
- Jessica Munday, Secretary, Unions Tasmania
“Workforce is one of the reasons we don’t have enough facilities and we have childcare deserts across Tasmania.
This policy does look at wages for Early Childhood Educators and that is really critical to any policy that looks to increase the number of centres in Tasmania.
If we don’t look at wages in the sector we won’t attract workers to the sector, which is why this policy actually makes a difference.”
- Jessica Sanders, National Coordinator, United Workers Union (early childhood education union)