2024 marked our most ambitious year of advocacy yet
2024 has been a groundbreaking year for the early education and care sector. With the breadth of major reform opportunities underway, we have never had more opportunities to raise our members’ voices and advocate for the changes that they urgently need. CELA has led the way, advocating for a sector that is ready for the future with universal access, professional wages and expanded community services.
In 2024, our priorities for advocacy to state and federal decision makers were to:
CELA delivered this by focusing on two key streams for our advocacy:
CELA has been at the forefront of shaping major government reforms, amplifying the voices of small and community providers. We have been working intensively with decision makers to ensure they prioritised universal early education and care as the foundation for Australia’s future prosperity.
Through research-backed submissions, partnerships, and effective advocacy, CELA has championed a plan for accessible, high-quality ECEC for all children, no matter their circumstances.
Key highlights include:
Valuing our early educators and teachers: The Federal Government is delivering a $3.6 billion, 15% pay increase for educators and teachers working in CCS funded services, negotiated by CELA on behalf of community and small services.
Note: CELA is currently working on behalf of community and small NSW preschools to secure professional wages for educators and teachers funded by the NSW Government.
Major changes to the activity test: The Federal Government will replace the current CCS activity test with guaranteed eligibility for 3 days a week of subsidised early education for children who need it from January 2026.
Three-day guarantee: Families earning less than $530,000 annually will be eligible for three days of subsidised ECEC per week, regardless of activity levels.
Capital funding boost: A $1 billion Building Early Education Fund will create new early childhood education and care in places that need it most, focused on new not-for-profit services.
Updated occupation titles: A long-awaited change sees ‘child care worker’ officially replaced by ‘early childhood educator.’
Creating our future workforce: New University Study Hubs, FEE FREE TAFE, VET Student Loans and Paid Prac will attract our next generation of educators and teachers.
Below we provide further details for each of the highlights
Federal government pledges 3 Day Guarantee for early childhood education and care plus abolition of Activity Test
The Productivity Commission’s final report, A Path to Universal Early Childhood Education and Care (released September 2024), highlights a critical issue: the children and families who stand to benefit most from early childhood education and care (ECEC) are often the least likely to attend.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announced that if re-elected, the Government would introduce a 3 Day Guarantee so that all families earning below $530,000 per year are eligible for 3 days of subsidised early education and care from when they need it.
The announcement included major changes to the Activity Test to ensure children who will benefit most can access education and care.
Details include:
- From January 2026, all families would be eligible for at least 72 hours of subsidised ECEC per fortnight (3 days per week), regardless of their activity levels.
- Families would still be able to access 100 hours of subsidised ECEC per fortnight if they meet activity requirements or have a valid exemption.
- Families caring for a First Nations child would be eligible for 100 hours of subsidised ECEC per fortnight.
- The 3 Day Guarantee represents an investment of $297.6 million over 4 years from 2024–25.
Find out more, including an explainer about how it might work for families, here.
New capital fund to be established to enable building of long day care services in underserved communities
The Federal Government will establish a $1 billion Building Early Education Fund to build and expand around 160 ECEC centres in areas of need. This funding will prioritise not-for-profit services in the outer suburbs and regional Australia.
The Fund includes:
- $500 million in targeted capital grant rounds, opening from July 2025. The grant will allow quality not-for-profit ECEC providers and state and local governments to establish new services and increase the capacity of existing ECEC services. Grants will be targeted to priority and underserved markets, including regional locations and the outer suburbs. Where possible, services will be located on or near school sites.
- $500 million provisioned for future Commonwealth investment in owning and leasing a portfolio of early childhood education and care centres to increase the supply of services, with $2.3 million over two years from 2024-25 to undertake a business case to inform final design.
Updated occupation titles
For several years, CELA and other peak bodies have advocated for an update to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations. The ANZSCO is a standard set of occupational titles and codes which is used across Government agencies and in reports and datasets. Under the old classification, the official titles for occupations in early childhood education and care included ‘Childcare worker’, ‘Child Care Centre Manager’ and ‘Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher’.
The new terms applying to early childhood education and care are now:
- Early Childhood Educator
- Early Childhood Education Room Leader
- Children’s Education and Care Service Director
- Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher
View the latest release of the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA).
Workforce retention grant
In August, the Federal Government confirmed they would fund an initial 15% pay increase for early childhood educators and teachers in a $3.6 billion commitment. CELA CEO Michele Carnegie was with the Prime Minister, Minister Clare and Minister Aly at an inner Sydney CELA member service for this announcement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:
Early educators shape lives and change lives. We can never thank them enough for what they do – but we can make sure they are properly valued and fairly paid.
The announcement was a win for a sector that has been struggling with workforce shortages for too long. It reflected the tireless advocacy efforts CELA has made on behalf of our community and small provider member services, particularly through the multi-employer bargaining process.
In 2024, CELA has invested in our most ambitious advocacy campaign to date. We recognised the Federal Government’s appetite for major reform and knew that community and small providers had to be at the forefront of this process.
The results of our consistent advocacy work have meant the Federal Government understands the value of community early education services, and is investing in the reforms that will deliver a high quality universal early education and care system.
How CELA can help you to access the grant
CELA, in partnership with CCC (Community Child Care Association), has now assembled a specialist team to support early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers in accessing the government’s funding increase. Our experts are here to help you navigate the options and requirements to secure this valuable opportunity for your service.
We are already working with almost 1,000 providers, sharing our deep insight and practical knowledge to ensure they meet the government’s criteria, including implementing a compliant workplace instrument.
Our team brings decades of experience in the ECEC sector, paired with a proven track record of advocating for fair pay and working conditions. We’ve been directly involved in negotiations and are uniquely positioned to help your service leverage this historic funding.
To find out more about how we can help you access the pay rise, request the options pack.
Creating our future workforce
State and Federal Governments are investing in the educators that children and families need.
The Federal Government is rolling out University Hubs to help offer early education and care qualifications in communities where they are desperately needed. Fee Free TAFE, VET Student Loans and Paid Prac are also helping to attract thousands of new enrolments in the ECEC qualifications. These measures are helping educators and teachers to study and work where they are needed most.
The NSW Government is delivering on its commitment to expand the early education workforce through removing barriers to workforce participation, promoting flexible hours in early learning, investing in scholarships and supporting educators to access professional learning.
CELA will continue to work with State and Federal Governments to ensure we keep educators in our sector by paying them professional wages, providing paid access to professional development and expanding their career pathways.
Find out more about our recent advocacy via our website.