Government urged to provide universal childcare access

The Productivity Commission has handed down its interim report on early childhood education, calling on the government to increase access, among several recommendations.

* The report has recommended the government lead efforts to give every child access to early childhood education.

* The universal access should be 30 hours, or three days a week, for all children aged up to five-years-old.

* It found many families were struggling to access early childhood education due to poor availability, high expenses and a lack of flexibility.

* The federal government was urged to raise the maximum rate of the child care subsidy to 100 per cent of the hourly rate cap for families earning up to $80,000.

* The report also said the government should relax the activity test for the child care subsidy so it would not be a barrier for families.

* Workplace shortages would have to be addressed in order for universal childcare to be carried out, with the commission calling for improvements to career and qualification pathways.

* Inclusion support programs should also be expanded to include more children, such as those with disabilities.

* There are also calls to improve the cultural capability of early childhood education to improve access for Indigenous children, who are often under-represented in early childcare settings.

* The commission recommended the government remove impediments to flexible early childhood services, and fund supports for families with barriers to access.

* Findings from the commission showed higher attendance of child care allowed more parents to return to the workforce.

* State, territory and federal governments should sign up to a new national partnership, while the report also called for a new early childhood education commission to support the progress to universal access.