From today, the Federal Government will fund a 15 per cent wage increase for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workers.
This wage increase will be tied to a commitment from Child Care Centres to limit fee increases.
This significant wage increase is an important next step in the Government’s reforms to the sector, building on the successful Cheaper Child Care changes, which have already benefitted around 9,300 families in Greenway.
This will be phased in over two years, and include a 10 per cent increase from December 2024, and a further five per cent increase from December 2025.
This means a typical ECEC educator who is paid at the award rate will receive a pay rise of at least $103 per week, increasing to at least $155 per week from December 2025.
ECEC workers are some of the most important workers in Northwest Sydney and they deserve to be paid properly.
This $3.6B investment from the Government recognises the vital role that ECEC workers play preparing children for school.
To be eligible to receive funding for the wage increase, ECEC services won’t be able to increase their fees by more than 4.4 per cent over the next 12 months from today.
This is an important condition that will keep downward pressure on fees for local families in Greenway. Funding must be passed on in full to employees through increased wages.
This is a win for workers, a win for families and will help ease cost of living pressures for Northwest Sydney
Quality, affordable early education prepares children for a great start at school, contribution to their ongoing education and development and it lays the foundation for our nation's future economic success.
Since coming to Government, the number of ECEC workers has grown by more than 30,000, but we need more.
This commitment will help retain our existing early childhood educators, who are predominately women, and attract new employees.
This announcement comes after the Government joined negotiations with unions and sector representatives as part of the ECEC supported bargaining process, made possible by the Secure Jobs Better Pay Act.
Combined with the Government’s Cheaper Child Care initiative, today’s announcement will help support the availability of early education and care for families in North West Sydney and is a crucial step in charting the course to a truly universal early education system.
The Government has also received the Productivity Commission’s final report into early childhood education and care and will release it in due course.
Minister for Communications and Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland said: "Early educators are helping shape the youngest generation in North West Sydney. They do important work, and we need to make sure they are properly paid. Today the Labor Government is doing just that.
“Early educator workers in Greenway will receive a 15 per cent pay rise. For a typical worker, they will receive a pay rise of at least $103 per week, increasing to at least $155 per week from December 2025.
“Importantly, the Labor Government is also keeping costs down for Greenway families by limiting fee increases at childcare centres.
“We’re getting wages moving, which will attract and retain our early childhood education workforce and easing cost of living pressures from our Cheaper Child Care changes.”
“This is a win for workers, families and children in Northwest Sydney.”
