Out of pocket costs on the rise again
24 Apr | '2024
Angie Bell MP
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education
Shadow Minister for Youth
Federal Member for Moncrieff
MEDIA RELEASE
Out of pocket costs on the rise again
24 April 2024
Less than 12 months since the Albanese Government’s ‘Cheaper Child Care’ policy came into play, and out of pocket costs have already risen by 7.1 per cent.
According to CPI data released today by the ABS, out of pocket costs for early childhood education (ECE) increased by 3.9 per cent in the March 2024 quarter. Out of pocket costs also increased in the December 2023 quarter by 3.2 per cent.
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Angie Bell, said today’s data is just further proof that Labor’s plan to reduce ECE costs is slowly backfiring.
“Labor promised families “cheaper child care” and lower out of pocket costs, and yet we’ve seen in less than 12 months, those costs increasing again,” Ms Bell said.
“The cost of living crisis hasn’t disappeared, and for many families it’s getting harder to juggle their expenses. Everything is rising – groceries, petrol, electricity and now ECE costs are going up.
“Families deserve better from their Government, including policies that deliver real support for them and their children.”
On top of rising out of pocket costs – there has been no support from the Albanese Government for families struggling to access care due to lack of services and languishing waitlists.
“There are families across the country who have little to no access to ECE solely based on their location. It’s not fair that children in regional, rural and remote Australia are being left behind by this Labor Government,” Ms Bell said.
“We want to see more support delivered to those families, to ensure equal access of education and care for all families regardless of their postcode.
“As we approach the next Federal Election, the Coalition will continue to advocate for flexibility and choice for all families accessing education and care services.”
With out of pocket costs rising again, Australian families deserve to know why they always pay more under Labor.
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