New research shows sharp rise in ECEC costs for regional families

New research has shown that almost all regional Australian families (91 per cent) have reported a sharp increase in early learning and care costs over the past three years, and that nearly 80 per cent of families living in remote areas believe that more affordable and easily accessible early learning and care would provide them with significant economic relief.

 

The Early Learning Regional Monitor released this morning shows nine out of 10 families in rural and regional Australia believe the cost of early childhood education and care (ECEC) has risen substantially in the past three years.

 

Children from remote communities are twice as likely to start their years at school developmentally vulnerable, compared to their counterparts in urban parts of the country, Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data has shown, making the results more urgent for Australia’s children. 

 

The national poll of more than 4,500 people, conducted by Essential Research for the Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five initiative, found:

 

• 91 per cent of parents in regional Australia believe childcare costs have skyrocketed over the past three years, compared with 86 per cent of respondents in metropolitan regions
• 88 per cent of families in regional Australia don’t send their children to early childhood education and care or limit how long they send them, due to the cost, compared with 86 per cent of metropolitan families
• 79 per cent of parents in regional Australia said much cheaper access to good quality childcare would help their families
• 73 per cent of families in regional Australia support the adoption of universal childcare, up from 69 per cent in 2021
• 74 per cent of families in rural and regional regions think a universal early learning system would be beneficial for Australia’s education system.

 

“This poll clearly illustrates childcare affordability and accessibility are key issues for families with young children in rural and regional Australia,” said Thrive by Five Director Jay Weatherill.

 

“Being born in regional Australia shouldn’t disadvantage any child. Every child, regardless of where they live or how much their parents earn, should be able to access high quality early childhood education. Yet families living outside Australia’s major cities are struggling both with exorbitant fees and inexcusably long wait lists to access childcare in the first place,” he said.

 

“High out-of-pocket costs make it harder for parents to return to work and prevent children from accessing the lifelong benefits that arise from participation in high quality early learning.”

 

The Early Learning Regional Monitor also confirms data recently released by the childcare sector regulator (the Australian Children Education and Care Quality Authority), which found less than one-quarter of ECEC facilities in disadvantaged areas are exceeding the standards set in place by The National Quality Framework and also confirms research from the Front Project.

 

Access the research in full here.