Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has praised Australia’s multicultural society as a key national strength while announcing a $3.6 billion investment to continue funding pay rises for early childhood educators.
Speaking during a visit to a childcare centre in Melbourne’s south-east, Albanese said diversity plays an important role in modern Australia.
“Diversity is a strength of modern Australia. No matter what language you speak or faith you practice, every Australian deserves to feel safe, respected and valued,” he said.
At the Goodstart Early Learning Centre in Hampton Park, the Prime Minister confirmed the government would continue supporting a 15 per cent wage increase for eligible early childhood educators. The funding package is expected to provide workers with up to $255 extra per week.
The initiative aims to address long-standing staff shortages in the childcare sector by helping retain experienced educators and attract new workers.
Albanese said the childcare sector was facing significant challenges when his government came to office, with low wages causing many educators to leave the profession.
“When we came to government, our childcare sector was in crisis. People weren’t being paid enough, and many were leaving the sector,” he said.
The government will also require childcare providers receiving the funding to meet national safety standards and limit fee increases for families.
“We’ve done it in a way that places caps on childcare fee increases, meaning this is good for families as well,” Albanese added.
Education Minister Jason Clare described the policy as a win for workers, families and child safety.
“Today’s announcement is about paying staff properly, keeping childcare costs as low as possible for families, and ensuring children remain safe,” he said.
According to Clare, the wage support introduced 18 months ago has helped add around 20,000 workers to the childcare sector while reducing staff vacancy rates.
The government has also linked the funding to compliance with the National Safety Standard. Clare noted that around 95 per cent of childcare centres currently meet the standard, with the goal of reaching full compliance nationwide.
The announcement comes amid ongoing concerns about child safety in early learning settings. The government is pursuing additional measures, including mandatory training programs, a national register and trials of CCTV monitoring.
Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh said the wage increase recognises the valuable work educators do in supporting children’s development.
Goodstart Early Learning chief executive Ros Baxter welcomed the funding, saying higher wages help recognise educators’ contributions and provide greater stability for children and families.
United Workers Union national president Jo Schofield also praised the commitment, noting that early childhood educators have campaigned for better pay and recognition for many years.
The announcement forms part of the government’s broader efforts to ease cost-of-living pressures through childcare support, tax relief and education initiatives, while continuing discussions on long-term reforms to Australia’s early childhood education system.