Starting early

First, if they want to invest money into early childhood professionals they should be investing in increasing their wages. We know the importance of the early years, but that is not reflected in the wages of professionals.

Second, in childcare services, where the qualified workers are really needed, there is no extra support. Our TAFE colleges have the potential to deliver a range of certificate and diploma courses, but there is no mention of them in the Labor policy statement.

Education Minister Julie Bishop is right to acknowledge that Labor is behind on early childhood. But the Liberals' track record isn't that good in recent years, either. There is no longer a minister for children, a role Larry Anthony once held. The Government continually argues that early childhood education is a state responsibility and in terms of real support for improving the quality of child care in this country the Federal Government has been slow to act.

If either side of politics really wants to make an impact with the early childhood vote this election they would do well to listen to the experts.

Dr Don Edgar, founder of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and Dr Fiona Stanley, former Australian of the Year, both argue that the learning and development of our children begins at the beginning of life and that we need services and systems to support that.

Kindergarten and child care need to be brought together. We need comprehensive early childhood development centres that support our children to learn through play right through the years before school.

We must start thinking about how we merge childcare and kindergarten services in an attempt to acknowledge that childhood learning and development should be funded during the first six years of a child's life, not just before they start school.

A policy with meaning for the early childhood sector would focus on reform and not just further financial investment. We need policy that addresses the perception that early childhood education begins at kindergarten and we need to bridge the divide between kindergarten and childcare services.