Productivity Commission Inquiry into Australia’s Early Childhood Education and Care System

In March 2023, the Productivity Commission announced an inquiry into Australia’s Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system. Earlier this month, the ESB had the opportunity to provide a submission focused on addressing the areas and recommendations of the Draft Report which fall within our legislative and regulatory scope.

The submission offers responses to the following information requests:

• The suitability of the existing National Quality Framework (NQF) for OSHC services.
• The provision of service ratings information for families by promoting transparency, accountability and regulatory compliance.
• Regulatory actions against serial underperformers.
• Necessary support for services to meet the National Quality Standard (NQS) and,
• The proposed establishment of an ECEC Commission.

In addition to the Commission’s requests for information, the ESB also endorsed some recommendations within the draft report and provided additional commentary on others.

The ESB is committed to constructive collaboration with the Commission and looks forward to the release of the final report in June 2024. For more information on the Draft Report into the Early Childhood Education and Care system, you can access the Productivity Commission’s website here.