The move to provide access to high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for low-income families is to support families and children who would most benefit the most according to ARC Laureate Fellow Professor Karen Thorpe from the Queensland Brain Institute.
Professor Thorpe, an expert in child development, education and care, welcomed the findings of the Productivity Commission’s final report into early education and care which recommended that access to ECEC should be the right of every individual regardless of income.
The report urged the Federal Government to completely subsidise ECEC for families with incomes up to $80,000 and cover the costs for families earning less than $140,000 who have multiple children under the age of five.
Professor Thorpe’s research, particularly around early education and workforce services in disadvantaged areas, shows that children who access high quality ECEC have a strong start to school and that early educational engagement is a key success factor.
“International economic analyses clearly identify the strongest benefits for children from lower income families – seen in health and education outcomes into adulthood,” she said.
“The key focus must be delivering the highest quality ECEC to children experiencing the highest levels of disadvantage.
“Ensuring our lowest income families have this chance is a great start for Australia’s ambition for universal ECEC provision.”
Professor Thorpe said the first five years was a crucial time in child development and early childhood education and care presents a window of opportunity to promote positive life outcomes, especially for children who are disadvantaged.
“The first five years is a period of rapid brain development in which early experiences shape neural pathways,” she said.
“The quality of these early experiences affect children’s lifetime trajectories of health, education and social inclusion.”
