30°C | Tuesday January 14, 2025 
1 November 2024
By Hannah Wilcox
North Sydney federal MP Kylea Tink has called for smart reform for community access to early childhood education.
Those residing in North Sydney currently pay some of the most expensive early education and care fees in the country, she says.
Tink hosted a Deliberative Democracy forum on Sunday – made up of 40 selected participants – to brainstorm suggestions and solutions going forward.
Forum participants presented their policy ask which was fundamentally underwritten by the idea that all Australian children should be able to access free (or low-cost), universal early childhood education and care from birth to age five – regardless of where their family lives or how much they earn.
The group asked Tink to argue for early childhood education and care workers to be moved onto the same award rate as primary school workers to address the existing pay disparity and provide wider career development opportunities, as well as ensure early childhood education and care places are funded according to the number of children attending a centre.
This would see the funding model be brought more in line with the 2011 Gonski funding recommendations for the wider education environment.
With ninety per cent of a child’s brain development happening in their first five years, Tink said the cognitive and social advantages of access to early education and care are clear.
“Ultimately, everyone agrees the current system is broken and we need smart reform to ensure services are accessible, affordable, and high-quality for all families across Australia, including North Sydney,” she continued.
“Tragically, early childhood education and care simply isn’t an option for many families, particularly those who are already doing it tough.”
Tink added: “Our early childhood education and care system is not only failing families but also holding back the economy. Without reliable childcare, many parents – particularly women – are locked out of the workforce, with the Australia Institute estimating that Australia is losing $168 billion in GDP by not providing universal care.”
A report is being developed on the North Sydney Early Childhood Education and Care Forum and will be released in the coming weeks to help inform community-led early childhood education and care policy.
“There is so much more to be done to strengthen our early childhood education and care sector and deliver improved quality, access and affordability,” Tink said.
“Informed, community-led discussions such as this one are a vital part of this process. It’s also what our democracy is all about.”
“The community can’t wait for election announcements; we need to make our voice heard and get on with the job now.”
“It’s extraordinary to think you could have taken a photo of the room on Sunday and the image would have shown you what the electorate of North Sydney looks like demographically,” Tink said.
“Even more importantly though, is the fact that I can move forward in my advocacy in this area with the confidence I am fighting for what my community wants to see happen.”
She added: “As a mum of three children, who has worked pretty much their entire lives, I understand that raising kids has always been difficult. But we’re now at a point where people in my community are saying that the costs of early childhood education and care are so prohibitive they are literally rethinking having children.”