Minister for Education notes rise in Indigenous enrolments

The number of Indigenous children in approved childcare has grown by 7.4 per cent in the 12 months to the December quarter 2017, increasing to 34,500. Minister for Education Dan Tehan said strong enrolments in long day care and outside school hours care has accounted for the rise in Indigenous children using childcare.

“Almost half of Indigenous children in childcare are attending services in rural and regional Australia,” Mr Tehan said. “We’ve seen very strong growth in Indigenous enrolments in the sector, with the 7.4 per cent annual growth in the December quarter 2017 building on an 8.1 per cent increase in the preceding year.”

Linking his comments with the results from the Early Childhood and Child Care in Summary Report for the December quarter 2017, Mr Tehan said “Australia’s childcare sector provides a service that hundreds of thousands of Australian families rely on. The Government’s new Child Care Subsidy has ensured families earning the least and those working the most are supported to access the childcare they need.”