As more and more families have two working parents, childcare has become more and more of a necessity, but one with serious availability and affordability problems.
Improving the staff retention and attractiveness of the industry would go some way to solving these problems, but it seems illogical to target only one portion of the sector.
Childcare peak bodies suggest a $300 million grant would be inequitable if it were distributed to workers on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
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READ NOWAnd it hardly makes any sense to apply a grant intended to increase the attractiveness of the industry to only a part of it.
If childcare work is to pay well enough to keep skilled people engaged, it needs to be across the industry as a whole.