Productivity Commission Calls for Universal Childcare

The Australian Productivity Commission (PC) has pushed for a universal childcare scheme to improve children’s development and household incomes. In a draft report on the early childhood education and care (ECEC) system, the commission pointed out that while ECEC services are widely available to Australian families (90 percent of four-year-olds are enrolled in ECEC), many children were still missing out. “For many children–especially those experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability–attending ECEC can have positive effects on their achievements at school and later in life,” the report (pdf) said. “But children who would likely benefit the most from ECEC are attending less than average or not at all.”...