Childcare stakeholders push to extend Queensland’s free kindy program to three-year-olds

Queensland’s free kindy program should be expanded to three-year-olds and early education workers given a pay boost, claims a new alliance.

Hudson Ryan, 18 months, with Goodstart Early Learning Centre director Tracey Adams. Picture: Lachie Millard

Queensland’s free kindy program should be expanded to three-year-olds and early education workers given a pay boost, according to the state’s childcare sectors’ largest operators and stakeholders.

A new alliance of 30 organisations – which included sector giants Goodstart Early Leaning and C & K – was expected to head to Queensland’s state parliament on Wednesday to demand the government take greater action, claiming the workforce was “in crisis”.

Among the push – also backed by the University of Queensland and the Queensland Teachers’ Union – was for the state government to expand their flagship $645m free kindy program to include three-year-olds.

That idea was one of six it was advocating for under the banner of “Thrive by Five” – what children need to excel before turning 5-years-old – which also included a workforce strategy to attract and retain the best teachers in Queensland and stronger advocacy in national cabinet.

“This alliance welcomes the Queensland Government’s commitment to providing free kindergarten for four-year-olds,” the group wrote.

“However, Queensland’s children require a commitment to expanding this promise to three-year-olds with a clear timeline and detailed plan, so they have the same opportunities as children in other states and territories.

“The workforce strategy will need to be designed and funded with this goal in mind.”

The alliance also called for a bipartisan support, and the need to “deliver immediate improvements in pay and conditions for the early years workforce, recognising that without early childhood educators and teachers, there is no early learning system”.

“The early years workforce is in crisis, with high turnover and staff shortages impacting the entire sector,” the alliance said,

“We need equal pay, qualifications and respect for our dedicated teachers, educators and other early years workers.

“There can be no quality early learning without a qualified, secure and healthy workforce.

“There will be no available places in quality early learning centres without qualified and available staff.”

Sahba Hamid, a manager with SSI who worked in the sector for a number of years, supported the proposal to expand free kindy to younger children.

“It’s definitely something that would help families by giving them an extra year to prepare their child for school,” she said. “It’s all about making sure their child is ready for school, the more exposure to learning through play, the better.”

The Palaszczuk Government has claimed the free kindy for children for the year before they begin prep was expected to save families up to $4600 per year, with the data showing there were about 8000 Queensland kids in this age bracket who were eligible to attend kindy – but don’t.