Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

VASTA () (): I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that the Government's support for childcare helped Australian families during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and continues to support families as our economy grows;

(2) further notes that the latest data shows more than $3 billion has been provided through the pandemic to keep services viable, staff in work and children in care;

(3) recognises that women's workforce participation has reached a record high of 61.8 per cent; and

(4) further recognises that the Government is investing more than $10.3 billion in the childcare system this year, helping more than 1.2 million families.

The childcare sector is fundamental to nurturing the potential of our children, and that is why I rise today to move a motion which recognises the support our government has provided to this sector. Our government is making a real difference to the lives of families across the country. Even during the pandemic, our support has continued to be unwavering. Our government has remained committed to keeping the childcare sector open and staff employed. Two hundred thousand early childcare workers, educators and teachers in Australia have been able to keep their jobs, and around 6,200 services in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT have received $234 million in payments to date. This is on top of our government's continued flow of the childcare subsidy. Just last month, we announced that our increased childcare subsidy for multiple children has been brought forward four months earlier than first expected. It's certainly been a challenging time, but it couldn't be clearer how important this sector is to Australian families, parent workforce participation and our economy.

I have seen our government deliver for this sector across my electorate of Bonner. I regularly visit our local childcare centres and kindergartens, spending time with the staff and children, and learning about what we can do to support them. These are heartwarming visits. Not only can I see the widespread benefit of our government's funding in this space; I'm also able to recognise the dedicated staff who do an incredible job of supporting our children's passion for learning. During these visits, a guaranteed crowd-pleaser is reading to the children, and the book of my choice is If I Was Prime Minister by Beck and Robin Feiner. Seeing the smiles on the children's faces is priceless, and it makes it especially worthwhile to also donate the book to these centres. Last month I donated the book to the vibrant kindergarten class at C&K at St Catherine's Community Kindergarten in Wishart. The children loved the book so much they created and sent me their own version which told the story of what they would do if they were Prime Minister. Some said they would save the animals, help people and take care of our environment. At a very young age, these children already have amazing hearts for making a difference, as do their family members and educators, who are playing key roles in this. Pulling this book together was truly a tremendous effort by the kindergarten and the staff at C&K at St Catherine's. It's a book I've now shared with my family and even other members of the House. This is just one example of many.

Time and again I hear the overwhelming support from local centres for our government's funding. During this year's federal budget, we announced the investment of a further $1.7 billion into child care to increase its affordability and to give parents the choice to take on extra work. I caught up with Tingalpa's LEAD Childcare centre manager, Krissy, who was very pleased with this. It was especially meaningful to hear her positive feedback, as she's someone with extensive experience in the sector. Supporting our children to engage in early education is the fundamental building block to ensure that they are best prepared to start school.

During Early Learning Matters Week, which fell a couple of months ago, I visited Green Eggs Early Childhood Centre in Mansfield and Mother Duck Childcare centre in Manly, two fantastic local centres that are fostering inclusive spaces for children to grow into confident and enthusiastic learners. These visits were an opportunity for me to personally thank the staff for the high-quality early education and care they provide. When I asked the Mother Duck Childcare centre nominated supervisor, Kate, why being an early educator matters to her, she said that children need strong role models both at home and in their everyday lives, and educators play a special role in guiding them on the value of early education right from the very start. So today I am shining a light on how our government continues to enrich— (Time expired)

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