Baby steps or giant strides

Parents of one in six children were struggling to access child care services in 2014, with just over one half of parents indicating that a failure to secure child care was hindering their ability to meet work commitments, according to this report. Summary In its 2014 review of the child care sector, the Productivity Commission revealed that parents of one in six children were struggling to access child care services in their area, with just over one half of parents indicating that a failure to secure child care was hindering their ability to meet work commitments. Most policy makers would now accept that an improvement in the availability and affordability of child care services would result in an improvement in Australia’s participation rate. However, it is important that policy makers do not lose sight of the fundamental shift that has occurred in recent years, as countries have moved from viewing childcare as simply child minding to viewing it as an important educational service for young children. In the legitimate rush to expand access to childcare, it is important that we do not unduly undermine the quality of our early childhood education system.