This morning Kristy McBain MP, Member for Eden-Monaro, joined Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese MP, and the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Youth, Amanda Rishworth MP, at the Campbell Street Children’s Centre in Queanbeyan, to discuss Labor’s plan for cheaper child care.

Eden-Monaro families have been hit hard with soaring child care fees according to new data released by the Federal Department of Education.

The data shows that over the previous 12 months, local child care fees increased by as much as 7.7 per cent, well above the national increase of 2.4 per cent.

These increases in fees substantially outstripped inflation for the same period (0.9 per cent), which the Child Care Subsidy is pegged to - meaning local families are now paying more out-of-pocket for child care.

The new data shows that nationwide, child care fees have soared by 37.2 per cent since the election of the Coalition in 2013.

“The cost of child care has been rising right across our region. The system is seriously broken, and our local families are the ones paying the price,” Ms McBain said.

“As we recover from the pandemic, we need to be doing everything we can to support young families and help those who want to get back to work.

“When I was raising my family, like many others, I had to make the difficult decision to work part-time because we couldn’t afford full-time child care.”

Ms McBain went on to state “It shouldn’t be a choice that families have to make, and if elected to Government, Labor will make sure that quality, affordable child care becomes a reality for all Eden-Monaro families.”

On average, child care fees are $4,446 more per year than when the Liberals came into office.

Only Labor has a real plan to tackle the skyrocketing out-of-pocket child care costs and keep them down for good.

An Albanese Labor Government will cut child care fees and put more money into the pockets of working families by:

• scrapping the $10,560 child care subsidy cap which often sees women losing money from an extra day’s work;
• lifting the maximum child care subsidy rate to 90 per cent; and
• increasing child care subsidy rates and taper them for every family earning less than $530,000.

Our plan will make child care more affordable for 97 per cent of families in the system – four times as many as the Morrison Government’s plan.

Scott Morrison’s child care system has failed Eden-Monaro families. It has failed to keep a lid on out of pocket costs, and it has failed to support working parents, particularly women, to work full time or increase their hours.

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