Improving wages and conditions for the early childhood education and care workforce
From December 2024, CCS-funded services across Australia will be able to access a ‘worker retention payment’ of 15% above Award, funded by the Australian Government. This was a result of sustained advocacy by CELA over several years. With a workforce crisis emerging, CELA partnered with like-minded peaks to survey services to understand the extent of the workforce shortage and its impact on services.
The results were stark and provided the strong evidence-base needed to engage Government with the task of solving it.
CELA worked collaboratively with Government, other peak bodies, and large and small providers, to test the new Secure Jobs, Better Pay Act and applied to the Fair Work Commission to engage in the first-ever multi-employer bargaining process. This process brought Government to the table as the primary funder of early childhood education and care, to fund the wage increase without passing on increasing costs to families.
Building professional respect
Language matters. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) counts and categorises various aspects of the workforce, including occupations. Until 2024, the ABS classification system, known as the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), used outdated titles such as 'Child Carer' and 'Child Care Centre Manager' to describe roles within the early childhood education and care workforce.
CELA successfully advocated to the ABS for updates to occupation titles within the early childhood sector. These updated titles, which reflect CELA’s and other peak bodies' advocacy efforts, now better represent the roles in the field. Recommended titles include "Children's Education and Care Service Director," "Early Childhood Education Room Leader," and "Early Childhood Educator," which the ABS has proposed for adoption to reflect modern terminology.
The new occupation titles are expected to be adopted by the ABS from 2025.
Influencing national policy directions for children and early childhood development and care
In recent years, governments have shown a growing interest in early childhood development and the policies that ensure the best outcomes for children. This reflects the understanding that supporting children effectively in their first five years brings lifelong benefits, not only for individuals and families but also for communities and the broader economy. The Australian Government is no exception, having initiated several major policy reviews, including the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Early Childhood Education and Care, the ACCC Childcare Inquiry, and the development of a national Early Years Strategy.
When contributing to the Government’s Early Years Strategy, we emphasised the need to focus on priorities that will drive meaningful change. Key recommendations included:
- Universal access to high-quality early childhood education and care
- An accountable, evidence-based early years system
The Government has since adopted a strategy that supports:
- Progress towards universal access to early childhood education and care
- Enhanced accountability and coordination, with a stronger emphasis on data, research, and evaluation.
Read our submission