Universal not Uniform: building an early childhood system that is universal and flexible

Article

Sam Page

Feb 25, 2026

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When early childhood experts argue in favour of a universal system, they are not proposing a one size-fits-all solution. This sector has many different providers, including government, private and not for profit providers, across the spectrum of large national operators to small single site family businesses or community groups. There is also a spectrum of service models, from family day care and in-home care, to preschool, kindergarten and long day care centres, as well as outside school hours care and multi-purpose child and family hubs. Communities are diverse and families have different needs; it is important to provide choice and flexibility.

Many of the current challenges come from our reliance on private investment to deliver services wherever they are needed, this has not worked. Market responses have focused on areas with high population density and strong demand, prioritising services that are more profitable, older age cohorts, larger centres, in areas of high-income households. This leaves many families without the services they need. Regulatory enforcement has not kept pace with growth in the sector and problems arising from both undersupply and oversupply as well as workforce shortages have compromised quality.

It is time for a different approach, one that actively builds a system rather than a market, directing resources where they are needed as we do in the health system and school system. This is not new, the idea that every child wherever they live in Australia should have access to affordable, high quality early childhood education and care has been on our agenda for a long time. Recent progress towards such a universal system has been made with the commencement of the Three Day Guarantee which makes available the provision of the Child Care Subsidy for every child, regardless of their circumstances or where they live. Now we need to deliver on that guarantee.

Different contexts and geographies present opportunities to deliver models of ECEC that are high quality, meet and exceed Australia’s National Quality Framework, ensure children’s safety, rights and best interests, provide education and care to children and families; but offer flexibility through the suite of options available. Services can be small or large, operate some days of the week,

provide long or short sessions, be co-located with other services or stand alone in purpose-built settings. The non-negotiable structural elements of quality are that educators are qualified and skilled, that children interact and learn with other children, and that early childhood settings are fit-for-purpose, supporting rich learning experiences and child safety.

Suggestions that subsidies should be extended to the use of nannies or grandparents may seem intuitively appealing, but these are very expensive models that are much harder to regulate and do not deliver the same benefits to children. Learnings can be taken from the two-year Interim

Home Based Carer (Nanny) Subsidy Programme piloted in 2016 by the Morrison Government which saw a low uptake with high costs to families of as much as $30 an hour for care (closer to $40/hour today).

Families that rely on nanny or governess roles often find it is very expensive but also that it is challenging to maintain suitable spaces in their home and hard to recruit someone they can trust. there simply aren’t many people willing and able to work in these roles. Children do not get the benefit of social interaction with other children and the opportunity to learn important skills like being part of a group and collaborating with others, critical skills for learning.

Existing models of subsidised in-home care and family day care that comply with Australia’s National Quality Framework do have high quality providers but struggle with viability and workforce challenges. Out of pocket costs are particularly prohibitive in the in-home care model.

It is unlikely that we would seriously consider replacing schools with home tutors for all children because of convenience or flexibility. Instead, we work to create more inclusive schools and more diversity in schools to provide families with choices that best match their children’s needs. The same approach is sensible in early childhood education and care. Recognising that early childhood is a time of rapid brain development when we lay the foundation for lifelong learning requires us to acknowledge that educators are professionals and children deserve settings that provide rich learning experiences and responsive care.

We have work to do to rebuild public trust in the early childhood sector following examples and allegations of safety and quality breaches that have left many feeling appalled and betrayed. Ensuring children’s safety, rights and best interests are at the forefront of every decision from the boardroom to the infants’ room is critical to this and where much of our energy is focused but we also need to keep working on access, affordability and flexibility through a suite of service models responsive to the needs of communities and families.

Author:

Sam Page, CEO, Early Childhood Australia.

This article was provided by Early Childhood Australia.

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