Are early childhood educators getting a pay rise in Australia?
Yes! The Australian Government has committed to funding a well-deserved fifteen per cent wage increase for educators and teachers in early learning and OSHC services. This is a big milestone – a culmination of years of advocacy and the months we’ve spent negotiating with government, alongside other sector representatives and unions. It’s a game-changer for our sector, and we’re thrilled to have reached this point.
How can I ensure I’m getting key updates about the pay rise?
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Will the pay increase for early childhood educators be paid in 2024?
The government will fund a ten per cent pay rise for educators and teachers from December 2024 and a further five per cent from December 2025. That’s a pay increase of at least $103 per week for a typical educator paid at the award rate (increasing to at least $155 per week from December 2025).
This pay rise will take effect from 2 December 2024. Depending on when your service’s application is received, you will receive your pay rise with pay backdated from 2 December 2024.
Who can access the government-funded pay rise for educators?
Educators and teachers working in a Child Care Subsidy (CCS)-approved centre can benefit from this funding, but there are some conditions, including engaging staff through a workplace instrument and limiting fee increases.
What are the conditions and where can I apply?
The payment will be in the form of a grant which providers need to apply for. To be eligible to apply Child Care Subsidy (CSS)-approved centres will need to:
- Limit fee increases to 4.4% over the next twelve months from 8 August 2024
- Engage staff through a workplace instrument that meets grant conditions, such as the multi-employer bargaining agreement we have negotiated.
Service wage costs are usually around 60–80% of total expenditure, making them the major contributor to fee increases. These wage cost increases will now be covered by the government. Grant guidelines are available now.
We can help you meet the conditions and apply for the funding.
What is Community Child Care Association’s role in the pay rise?
Community Child Care Association (CCC), along with Community Early Learning Australia (CELA), has been at the negotiating table with the government since July 2023, when we kicked off the process that led to this funding announcement. We are very proud to represent small and community-managed providers in the negotiations for professional pay.
Right now, we are finalising the new long day care multi-employer agreement (a workplace instrument) that will allow services to access government funding. Having played a crucial role in shaping the agreement, we know how best to support you to sign on and benefit from it.
How can you support my organisation to access the pay rise?
Our workplace relations service will directly support providers to meet the conditions and access the government funding. This includes supporting you to engage staff through an eligible workplace instrument, such as the long day care multi-employer agreement we have negotiated. Once the agreement has been finalised, long day care services will be able to sign on and will be covered by the agreement. This will be one of the fastest ways to meet the eligibility criteria. OSHC services can access an appropriate workplace instrument through the National Outside School Hours Services Alliance (NOSHSA).
We understand that deciding on an appropriate workplace instrument and signing on to the multi-employer agreement is complex – we have the expertise and time to provide all the support you need.
Why is this good for my children’s service?
The government-funded wage increase is a major step toward addressing educator shortages and ensuring that all children in Australia have access to high-quality education and care. It provides a strong incentive for educators to stay in our sector.