KindiCare launches calculator ahead of Federal Election to show out of pocket costs

Childcare app KindiCare has released an online election calculator to help parents to determine what out-of-pocket childcare costs they will have to pay each week, depending on which political party wins the yet to be called Federal election.

The calculator shows parents exactly how much they will have to pay under the Liberal and Labor parties, as well as The Greens, who are offering free childcare for all.

Recommendations made by the Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive By Five campaign are also assessed in the calculations. 

In almost all scenarios concerning dual income working families the calculator showed that working families will be better off should the Labor party secure victory, with an average working family with two children in childcare saving between $6386 and $11,013 a year out-of-pocket should Labor win.

KindiCare Founder Benjamin Balk said he created the Election Calculator to bring transparency to the election promises of the major parties, and to support parents to make informed decisions on voting day. 

“Bottom line for most families is – will I pay less for childcare under the Coalition or Labor?” he said. “And if I want or need to work more hours will my income be eaten up in fees through reduced subsidies?”

Alongside the calculator, the KindiCare site is running a poll asking parents whether the childcare subsidy policies of the major parties would affect how they voted in this year’s federal election. Early results indicate that 77 per cent of respondents will be voting based at least in part on the promises made in relation to early childhood policy. 

The calculator can be found here.