UNICEF report reveals Australia is falling behind on childcare affordability

There have been pleas for Australia to “wake up” on childcare after a UNICEF report revealed just how much work Australia has to do on ensuring early childhood education is accessible and affordable, and that parents have access to the paid parental leave they need.

The new report has seen Australia ranked 37 of the 41 richest countries on access to childcare. We are ranked 34 on the affordability of childcare, and 37 on access to parental leave.

In better news, Australia is ranked 12 on quality of learning and care.

Today, the Thrive By Five campaign has taken the report’s results to call on the Australian federal government to lift its game and do better on all of these factors, or “risk leaving a generation of Australian children behind”.