SNAICC in the News – Activity Test & Early Childhood Education & Care in regional, rural and remote communities
This week’s SNAICC in the News focuses on the barriers, such as the activity test, that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families face when trying to access early childhood education and care in communities across Australia.
In an ABC News feature, published on Wednesday, 29 May, Catherine Liddle, SNAICC CEO, highlights the urgent need to remove barriers preventing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from accessing childcare services. Vulnerable families face significant barriers and challenges, such as the Childcare Subsidy activity test, which exacerbates existing inequalities in accessing key services. The activity test, which ties subsidised childcare hours to parents’ working hours, disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. According to Catherine, removing these barriers to early education and care is necessary to closing the gap and ensuring that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have access to high-quality childcare services, setting them on a path to better life outcomes.
On Friday, 31 May, Catherine Liddle published an article detailing the drastic measures parents are taking to provide their children with early childhood education. According to Catherine, the current market-driven approach to early childhood education is ineffective in places with low population or low incomes, and private providers have no incentive to set up shop because they are unlikely to turn a profit. The message is clear: regardless of geography or socioeconomic standing, everyone should have access to early childhood education. To guarantee that children and families in regional, rural and remote areas receive the educational opportunities they deserve, Catherine and SNAICC urge the federal government to fulfil its commitment to make early childhood education universally accessible and affordable.
For complete coverage, read the news and media stories linked below.
Topic: Early Childhood Education & Care in regional, rural and remote communities
On Friday, 31 May, Catherine Liddle, SNAICC CEO, published an account of the extreme measures parents are having to take to access early childhood education.
In the article, Catherine tells of a mother who is driving 190 kilometres each way from Ti Tree to Alice Springs so that her daughter can attend preschool once a week. This story emphasises the broader issues affecting rural and remote communities in Australia, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. In the article, Catherine emphasises the profound and positive impact early education has had on this family, particularly in development and school readiness for their child, and the lengths this mother is willing to go to ensure their child receives these benefits. However, many families do not have the means to make such sacrifices, making the need for accessible local childcare and early education even more urgent.
According to Catherine, the current market-led model of early childhood education fails in areas where the population is low or people do not earn much, and private providers have no incentive to set up shop because they are unlikely to turn a profit.
SNAICC is one of more than 50 organisations calling on the federal government to take six key actions to improve early learning and care in regional, rural and remote communities. This includes stronger public management and funding models that cater to the unique needs of rural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This includes culturally safe, community-controlled services, better funding and incentives to attract and retain educators in remote areas.
The message is clear: access to early childhood education should be a universal right, not dependent on location or economic status. The federal government is urged to fulfil its commitment to make early childhood education universally accessible and affordable, ensuring that regional, rural and remote children and families receive the educational opportunities they deserve.
Read the full article linked below.
Read the full articleTopic: Childcare Subsidy activity test
In an ABC News feature, published on Wednesday, 29 May, Catherine Liddle highlights the urgent need to remove barriers preventing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from accessing childcare services.
Highlighting the profound impact that early childhood education has on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s development and cultural resilience, Liddle emphasises the role of Aboriginal-run childcare services in empowering families and communities. However, significant challenges, including the Childcare Subsidy activity test (find out more below), hinder access for vulnerable families, exacerbating existing inequalities.
Despite recent government allocations to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s education, key issues persist. The activity test, which ties subsidised childcare hours to parents’ work hours, disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, particularly those experiencing domestic violence or extreme poverty. Catherine stresses that removing barriers (such as the activity test) to early education and care is essential for closing the gap and ensuring all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have access to quality childcare services, setting them on a path to better life outcomes.
Read more about what the activity test means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and the full article linked below.
Read the full articleWhat does the activity test mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families?
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, the Childcare Subsidy activity test represents a systemic barrier to accessing essential early education and childcare services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are disproportionately impacted by the activity test due to the unique challenges families often face, including socioeconomic disadvantage, intergenerational trauma and systemic discrimination. The childcare subsidy activity test was introduced by the government in 2018 with the aim to facilitate the re-entry of women into the workforce. However, for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, this policy has had adverse effects, hindering rather than facilitating access to essential education and childcare services. This is because the activity test calculates the number of hours of subsidised childcare a family can access based on the hours parents spend working, looking for work or volunteering. This approach fails to account for the complexities faced by highly vulnerable families. For these families, securing employment or volunteering opportunities can be incredibly challenging, if not impossible.
As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families find themselves unable to access the subsidised childcare that could support their children’s development and enable parents to participate in the workforce or training opportunities.
The activity test exacerbates existing disparities in educational outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous children. Early childhood education is crucial for laying the foundation for future learning and development, yet the activity test effectively denies many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children the opportunity to access these services. The persistence of the activity test perpetuates a cycle of disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, hindering their ability to access the support they need to thrive.
Addressing this issue requires a recognition of the unique circumstances and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, along with policy changes that prioritise equity and access to education and childcare services for all children, regardless of their background.
Topic: ACWA Conference 2024
The Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA) is hosting an international conference from 5 to 7 June on Gadigal Country/Sydney at the ICC, convening local and international child and family specialists to tackle issues of disadvantage.
With a program designed to address critical topics such as early intervention, family preservation, child protection, domestic violence and out-of-home care, the conference aims to drive positive change and support vulnerable children and families. Notably, SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle will deliver a keynote address titled Safe and Supported, highlighting the importance of creating safe environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. The conference will also feature sessions focusing on self-determination, child protection decision-making, and oversight, with contributions from Commissioners and leaders from across the country.