A highly anticipated report into the Government’s free child care scheme has been released by the Federal Education Department as Education Minister Dan Tehan warns it could end by June 28.
Key points:
- 86 per cent of services say the free child care scheme helped them stay open during the pandemic
- A return to the old co-payment model is being considered
- The head of a leading industry group thinks its risky to go back too quickly
The review of the policy, which was conceived at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Australia, was informed by departmental data and a survey of more than 7,000 child care providers.
It concluded the scheme fulfilled its aim of rescuing the sector.
It found 86 per cent of child care services credited it with helping them stay open, 76 per cent said it helped them stay financially viable and 87 per cent said it allowed them to care for the children of essential workers and vulnerable children.
“It is rewarding when you see that a lot of hard work has paid