Calls for more accessible low-cost IVF and what it means for early childhood education and care

Rising costs of IVF treatment are putting parenthood out of reach for many Australians, with experts warning this trend could have long-term implications for early childhood services and population planning.

Vikki Mai Murphy and her partner Sean know firsthand the financial and emotional toll of fertility treatment. After a failed pregnancy and surgery that left her needing IVF to conceive, the couple faced the daunting prospect of paying up to $15,000 per treatment cycle.

“It just crushed me,” Ms Murphy said, describing the moment doctors explained her chances of conceiving naturally had dropped dramatically.

Cost-of-living pressures make the choice to proceed with IVF an impossible one for many families. With Australia’s fertility rate at a record low of 1.51 births per woman in 2024, experts say access to affordable fertility services is becoming a national priority.

While the discussion around IVF affordability often focuses on individuals and families, it also carries broader significance for early childhood education and care (ECEC).

• Population planning: Declining birth rates have long-term implications for enrolment numbers, staffing needs, and future demand for early childhood services.
• Equity in access: When high IVF costs restrict who can have children, access to ECEC becomes an issue of socioeconomic disparity, not just childcare availability.
• Support for diverse families: Many families using IVF also need early support networks, including child development services, health pathways, and care arrangements, particularly where conception journeys have been complex.

ECEC services, as part of a broader system of child and family support, stand to benefit from policies that make fertility care equitable and accessible.

Director of Connect IVF, Brendan Ayres, says corporate-driven pricing in the IVF industry has made treatment inaccessible for many.

“We see a disproportionate number of people from lower socioeconomic groups who need fertility treatment,” Mr Ayres said. “Funding hasn’t kept pace with the technology, and Medicare support is not linked to the cost of living.”

Connect IVF is one of the few clinics offering bulk-billed services, reducing financial stress for families. Ms Murphy credits this affordability with enabling her to access private maternity care during pregnancy an option she says would have been impossible if they had faced higher IVF costs.

Advocates are calling for:

• Medicare adjustments to reflect rising treatment costs and cover services such as donor IVF.
• Expanded funding to make low-cost IVF widely available across Australia.
• Policies that link fertility access to broader family and community wellbeing strategies, including early childhood development.

For the early childhood sector, these changes could mean a more stable enrolment landscape and improved planning for workforce and infrastructure.

The conversation about IVF affordability intersects with the ECEC sector’s focus on supporting families from the very start. For many, access to fertility services is the first step in their parenting journey. Ensuring this access is equitable contributes to a stronger, more inclusive early learning system.

As Ms Murphy reflects, “If I could have just looked into the future and seen my babies, it would have made such a difference. Affordable IVF gave us that chance.”

Australia’s world-leading IVF technology is undermined by inconsistent funding and high out-of-pocket costs. Without reforms, the divide between families who can access treatment and those who cannot will continue to grow, impacting not only individuals but also the communities and services that support them.

Ensuring IVF is accessible is not just a health issue; it is a child and family policy issue with implications that reach into early childhood education, community planning, and long-term social outcomes.

To read the original coverage of this story, as produced by Cootamundra Herald, please see here