Planned new funds from the national and two major state governments for early years learning have huge potential. This paper argues that Nordic-style measures to reduce privatised childcare – and now boost wages, job security and training support for children’s educators and carers – are...

Britain has the highest childcare costs in the developed world – a typical two-earner family in the UK spends around 30% of their household income on nurseries and childminders. This briefing paper puts forward a threefold solution that would deliver for families and the economy...

This paper provides results of modelling of the distributional impacts of Labor's proposed child care policy and the Coalition's recently legislated child care policy. Both policies are compared to the previous child care subsidy policy.

This report reviews several economic aspects of Australia’s failure to both allocate sufficient economic resources to early child education and care services, and to ensure that those resources are used to provide the best-quality services possible.

In this blog post, Owain Emslie takes a look at the child care policies of the Liberal/National Coalition and the ALP in the lead-up to the 2022 federal election.

This evaluation draws heavily upon the administrative data on the children's and families' use of child care, along with surveys implemented by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, and by the evaluation team, as well as extensive qualitative data from consultations and location-based case...

Minister for Education and Youth, Alan Tudge, says child care subsides have increased by 77 per cent since the Coalition took office. Verdict: Mr Tudge's claim is exaggerated.

This paper argues that Australia should invest in financial support for parental care time for all children, with options suited to both parents, for at least the first 12 months after birth, and for universal public childcare for all children.

Despite government subsidies, childcare is still a significant cost for many families. This paper reviews available data on expenditure and affordability, and presents new analysis of household expenditure data to understand how much Australian families are spending on early childhood education and care, as a...

This report examines the experience of the trades and shift-work segments of the workforce during COVID-19, and outlines a policy agenda that will provide support for these professions so that they remain an attractive career in future.

This paper outlines four policy areas that could provide tremendous potential for Australia to improve its economic development.

Many Australians – particularly women – suffered more than they needed to in the COVID recession because elements of the government response were inadequate or ill-directed. This report urges governments to inject more money into services sectors, childcare, and aged care, and to rewrite the...

This paper outlines a comparison of the impact on employment of child care expenditure and income tax cuts of an equivalent net cost to the budget. The paper argues that the clear superiority of childcare expenditure in stimulating economic activity reflects the concentration of the...

This paper makes the case for a "family stimulus" – a much-needed boost to the income of hard-hit families through the social security system and targeted investment in childcare to ensure the continued functioning of the sector. This will put cash directly into the hands...

Universal child benefits (UCBs) are regular, unconditional income transfers in the form of cash or tax transfers, which are paid to caregivers of children from the time of pregnancy or birth until the child’s 18th birthday. In this report, the authors call upon governments, donors...

In this report, the McKell Institute advocates for a universal Child Care Subsidy, and evaluates the Working Family Child Care Boost announced by Federal Labor Leader, Anthony Albanese, in his budget reply speech of 8 October 2020.

Parents of young children who want to contribute more to household income too often find themselves considering an insufficient financial reward when taking on extra work, once out-of-pocket child care costs are deducted. This report outlines some options for reform of the child care subsidy...

Increasing female workforce participation is one of the biggest economic opportunities for governments. This report identifies a range of policy and social barriers facing women who would prefer to work more paid hours.

In this strategy document, the ACTU calls for a government-led national economic reconstruction plan, and offers up five ideas that are designed to create and save jobs, protect and nurture whole industries, support public and private sector jobs, invest in future skills and training, and...

Economic modelling by the Mitchell Institute has found that many families will be significantly financially worse off, following the reintroduction of childcare fees for parents.