Affordable child care

The Government is delivering on its commitment to provide more affordable and accessible child care to working families through the recently legislated Jobs for Families Child Care Package.

The Government will invest $37.3 billion in child care to help ease cost of living pressures for around one million Australian families, including those that need before and after school care for their children.

The Jobs for Families Child Care Package will support workforce participation and place downward pressure on fees while also providing high quality early learning opportunities for children.

From 2 July 2018, the single, simplified, means-tested Child Care Subsidy will provide more support for the families who need it the most.

The Child Care Subsidy will put downward pressure on fee growth by introducing hourly rate caps and removing unnecessary regulation to allow providers to offer more flexible hours of care to meet the needs of their local communities.

The Government is also delivering the Child Care Safety Net to ensure that vulnerable families receive the support they need.

The Child Care Safety Net will deliver early childhood education and care services for children in rural and regional areas and for those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with additional needs.

The Government has delivered significant reform of the child care system that will help support Australian families who want to work, or work more.

The Government will also provide $428 million to extend the National Partnership Agreement on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education for the 2018 school year so that children in the earliest years have access to a quality preschool education in the year before they begin school.