Australia should follow the research and provide free universal childcare

The Guardian | Edward Melhuish | Tuesday 29 September

Should the state help in providing childcare? “If you can’t pay for childcare yourself, then wait until you can. Why should the country pay? No one paid for me.” This is the view of many Australians, yet we never hear similar dismissals of state-funded schooling.

This attitude to childcare is driven by a false distinction between childcare and education. It is true that childcare policies are in part about looking after children to enable parents who want do work to do so. But should this be the pre-eminent goal of policy, as the recent Productivity Commission report implies?

In the UK, perspectives have changed radically since 2004, driven by evidence on the value of early education. A Labour government introduced 15 hours of free nursery hours to all children from their third birthday. Fifteen hours was found to be most effective for improving child development for the general population, although children from disadvantaged families can benefit from more hours. Article