Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) (Extending Support and Strengthening Safety) Bill 2026
Ms BELYEA (Dunkley) (18:13): When we talk about early childhood education and care in this place, it is easy to focus on funding arrangements, legislation, wage increases and special accounts. Those things matter. But, in Dunkley, this bill—the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account) (Extending Support and Strengthening Safety) Bill 2026—is ultimately about people—the carers and the children and their families.
It's about the educator who welcomes the child each morning and helps them feel safe and confident. It's about the teacher who develops activities that encourage learning, curiosity and social development, and the room leader who notices when something is not quite right and takes the time to check in. It's also about the trainee educator starting their career and developing professional skills.
At a local level, it's about the parents from Frankston, Carrum Downs, Langwarrin, Seaford, Karingal and Mount Eliza who trust early learning services with their children's care. In Dunkley, around 80 early childhood education and care services are receiving the worker retention payment, supporting approximately 1,230 workers. Those workers play a critical role in shaping the lives of local children and supporting local families.
Every day, early childhood educators help children learn, develop and grow. They teach children how to communicate, build friendships and work together. They encourage confidence, curiosity and resilience.
There's nothing better than being able to visit a childcare centre and see the fun and the life in the children as they learn with their teachers. Supporting children through challenges and celebrating important milestones is also something fundamental to our childcare services. The significance of that work cannot be overstated.
Research consistently demonstrates that the early years of a child's life are amongst the most important for their development. The experiences children have, the relationships they build and the environments in which they learn can influence educational outcomes, wellbeing and social development for years to come. That means early childhood educators are not simply caring for children today; they are helping shape the adults those children will become.
That is why people working in this profession deserve fair recognition and fair pay. The Albanese Labor government recognised that reality when announcing funding for a 15 per cent wage increase for eligible early childhood education and care workers through the worker retention payment. This initiative was about more than wages; it was about recognising the value of care work and addressing years of undervaluation in a sector dominated by women.
Supporting workforce retention and attracting new educators into the profession has been vital, along with strengthening a sector that is essential for children, families and the broader economy. Prior to the worker retention payment, services across Australia were facing significant workforce shortages. Many struggled to recruit qualified staff.
Vacancies remained unfilled for extended periods. Experienced educators were leaving the sector. Services found it difficult to expand despite growing demand.
Those workforce shortages had real consequences for families wanting to get ahead. Parents faced waiting lists and reduced access to childcare places. They were forced to change work arrangements or delay returning to work because suitable care was not available.
For growing communities like Dunkley, these challenges were particularly significant. Access to reliable and affordable child care is closely linked to workforce participation. When families can access quality early learning services, parents have greater opportunities to participate in work, study and training.
When those services are unavailable, opportunities can be lost. Productivity is lost. The economy is impacted.
That is why strengthening the early childhood workforce benefits not only children and educators but the entire economy. Workforce stability also helps improve quality outcomes. Children thrive when they can build strong relationships with family educators.
Consistency supports learning, confidence and wellbeing. It provides stability at an important stage of development and helps create safe and supportive learning environments. The results achieved through the worker retention payment demonstrate the value of that investment.
Since the payment was introduced, there are around 20,000 more early childhood education and care workers nationally, representing an increase of approximately eight per cent. Job vacancies across the sector have fallen by almost 31 per cent. Staffing shortages have eased, and families have benefited from greater stability.
Importantly, fee growth at participating services has remained significantly lower than at non-participating services. These outcomes show that investing in workers strengthens the entire sector. It improves workforce retention, it improves access, it supports quality and it helps maintain affordability for families.
In Dunkley, I hear firsthand about the importance of these measures. Our community is made up of hardworking families balancing employment, study, caring responsibilities and household budgets. Many households continue to face cost-of-living pressures.
Every dollar matters. For many families, child care remains one of the most significant household expenses, yet child care is not a luxury. It is essential.
It allows nurses at Peninsula University Hospital to go to work. It allows teachers to teach in our many amazing schools. It allows tradies, hospitality workers, retail staff and small-business owners to do their jobs in our fine community, while parents can pursue education and training opportunities.
In short, child care is essential and essential economic infrastructure. Without it, workforce participation is reduced, and economic opportunities are limited. A strong early childhood sector supports stronger families, stronger communities and a stronger economy.
That is why I welcome the government's decision, announced on 14 June 2026, to extend the worker retention payment for a further two years. This legislation delivers this commitment. It provides an additional $3.6 billion to the wage justice special account and extends the sunset date to 31 December 2029.
Most importantly, it provides certainty—certainty for workers considering their future in the profession, for services planning staffing and growth and for families who rely on quality care. That certainty is important because workforce decisions are long-term decisions. People considering carers in early childhood education need confidence that their profession offers sustainable employment and fair remuneration for the long term.
Services need confidence when making investment and staffing decisions, and families need certainty that quality childcare places will remain available. This bill helps provide that confidence. The extension is also expected to save the average family around $1,500 over the next two years.
At a time when many families continue to carefully manage household budgets, that support will make a meaningful difference. Importantly, this bill is not solely focused on wages. It also strengthens quality and safety requirements.
Parents have every right to expect that their children will be cared for in a safe environment. Safety must always remain the highest priority. This legislation strengthens the link between public funding and service quality.
From July 2027, services that fail to meet required safety standard standards under the National Quality Standard may face reductions or suspensions in funding. In particular, services are expected to meet quality area 2, which relates directly to children's health and safety—something that is vital. Approximately 95 per cent of services already meet this requirement.
That is incredibly encouraging, but, when it comes to children's safety, every service should strive to meet the highest possible standards always. Public investment should support quality outcomes and strong accountability. This bill sends exactly that message.
Another important component of the bill is the expansion of the eligibility for the worker retention payment. Employees across all childcare subsidy approved services will now have access to this payment. This acknowledges an important reality: early learning services rely on a diverse workforce.
Educators and teachers are supported by cooks, coordinators, administrators, support workers, trainees and many others. Each role contributes to the experience of children and their families. Each role supports the delivery of quality care.
The wage increases supported through these reforms are already making a difference. Combined with increases in the minimum wage, a typical full-time educator is now around $255 per week better off, while an early childhood teacher is around $410 per week better off. That represents meaningful support.
It helps workers meet everyday expenses. It helps people remain in a profession that they care about. I want to acknowledge all of the early childhood educators across Dunkley.
The work you do is demanding and skilled and incredibly important. You support children through the critical stages of development. You help families navigate important transitions and you create safe, inclusive and nurturing learning environments.
Our community is grateful for your contribution. This parliament should be grateful for your contribution. This legislation reflects our appreciation.
I also acknowledge the parents of Dunkley. Parents want their children to be safe, supported and given learning opportunities. They want confidence that qualified educators will be there to provide the care and attention their children deserve.
Ultimately, early childhood education is about people, relationships, trust and opportunity. It's about children developing confidence, encouraging their curiosity and resilience. It's about creating environments where children can learn, grow and thrive.
Those moments matter, and this legislation helps support the people who make those moments possible. I am proud that this bill reflects Labor values and supports communities like Dunkley. When I think about the future, I think about the children attending early learning services across our electorate today.
The skills they develop, the confidence they build and the relationships they form in those early years will help shape their future. That is why this investment in early childhood education is one of the most important investments any government can make. We are investing in children.
We are investing in families. We are investing in workforce participation, and we are investing in Australia's future.