We are working towards policy change each day – whether it’s speaking with members, educators and service directors, attending forums and reference groups, meeting with Departments or lobbying decision-makers. Scroll down to learn more about our advocacy and how we’ve helped shape the sector by influencing policy change towards our vision of excellent early childhood education and outside school hours care for all.
Examples of our advocacy for early childhood and OSHC
A 15% pay rise for early childhood educators and teachers (2024)
For the first time ever, the Australian government will fund a pay rise for early childhood educators and teachers. This is a game changer for our workforce.
We’re proud to have led this process, along with Community Early Learning Australia (CELA), negotiating this historic deal on our members’ behalf through multi-employer bargaining.
We worked intensively to support our long day care members throughout the Fair Work Commission's process. We also raised the voices of small and community children’s services in Federal Parliament, sharing our members' stories with ministers, MPs and senators.
What does this historic deal mean?
- Educators and teachers will be paid 15% more – a wage that better reflects their qualifications, skills and responsibilities
- It will be much easier for long day care providers to attract and keep high-quality staff
- The workforce shortage will ease – meaning fewer children will miss out on the proven benefits of early education.
Funded professional learning for the earlymchildhood education and care workforce (2024)
We were thrilled when the Australian Government announced $72.4 million in funding toward professional development in the early childhood education and care sector. We were the only voice in the sector calling for this investment, and we’re glad the government agreed that children deserve highly skilled educators and teachers who are equipped to support their learning and development.
Free Four-Year-Old Kinder/Pre-prep (2024)
For years we’ve highlighted that all children deserve to enjoy the proven benefits of education and care. The Victorian Labor Government is listening and plans to gradually transition Four-Year-Old Kindergarten into Pre-Prep, and double the funded hours from 15 to 30 a week from 2025.
Bringing education and care to the forefront in the Federal Election (2022)
In the lead-up to the 2022 Federal Election, we sent a strong message to the major parties about the need for education and care to be at the forefront of proposed policy. Working alongside Community Early Learning Australia (CELA) and Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA), our joint submission gained national media attention, and we put our members' concerns to politicians in a Pre-Election Forum.
A strong voice during the pandemic (2020–2022)
From the pages of The Age to the studios of the ABC, we thrust the struggles of our sector into the national agenda. And with a seat secured at federal and state government discussions, we lobbied for additional financial payments for our sector, including Community Child Care Fund Special Circumstances Grants for COVID-hit OSHC services and cash flow boosts for struggling not-for-profits.
Port Phillip council retains education and care services (2020)
We delivered a strong message to the City of Port Phillip, which was debating whether to exit its council-run children’s services plus increase costs for community-run centres.
Two years are better than one (2019)
After years of lobbying, we were thrilled to see the newly re-elected Victorian Labor Government launch universal kindergarten for three-year-olds. The evidence shows that two years are better than one – children are better prepared for school, perform better and are more likely to attend tertiary education.
A win for vulnerable children in out of home care (2018)
The Victorian Labor Government announced a funding boost for out of home care (OOHC), which supports some of the most vulnerable children in the country. The changes include more funding for children in OOHC to access quality kinder programs and transition to school.
Our campaigning work 2018–2020
In 2018–2019 we continued to build relationships with decision-makers at all levels of the Department and key leaders. We produced a joint submission for the Victorian 2018 election, calling on the parties to continue the Early Childhood Reform Plan, expand to fifteen hours of kindergarten for three-year-olds, develop a workforce strategy and more. We hosted a policy debate for the state election – a platform for the three major parties to present their education and care policies to one hundred members and educators in the local area.
Now, we are continuing to ensure our members’ voices are heard by advocating for smart policy – like OSHC facilities to be built alongside each new school, and a detailed workforce strategy. We know the devil is in the detail with policy, so we are working with the departments and the Victorian and Australian governments to ensure that policy is rolled out with the needs of members, educators and children top of mind.
Our campaigning history
We have a long history of supporting and championing community-owned and not-for-profit education and care services in Victoria. Learn more about our history of advocacy for early childhood education and OSHC.