COMMITTEES

Senator KOVACIC (New South Wales) (16:01): On behalf of Senator O'Sullivan, I move: That the following matter be referred to the Education and Employment References Committee for inquiry and report by 29 June 2027: The state of Australia's early childhood education and care (ECEC) system, notably its ability to deliver accessible, high-quality, reliable and flexible services to rural, regional and remote communities, with particular reference to: (a) the extent and nature of ECEC service gaps across rural, regional and remote Australia, including long day care, family day care, in-home care, outside school hours care and preschool/kindergarten programs, relative to geographic distribution and community need; (b) challenges in attracting, training and retaining a qualified ECEC workforce in these communities, including the role of wages, housing, transport and career development opportunities; (c) the effectiveness of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) in reducing out-of-pocket costs for families with low or variable wages in rural, regional and remote communities, and whether the existing CCS structure reflects the costs and desired models of care in these areas; (d) the effectiveness of existing Commonwealth programs and investments aimed at improving ECEC access in rural, regional and remote communities; (e) the challenges that Aboriginal community-controlled organisations face in providing access to ECEC services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; and (f) any other related matters.

Question agreed to.