Both Labor and the Canberra Liberals have backed a motion in the ACT assembly on Wednesday for more federal certainty over the hours of childcare the Commonwealth will fund.
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The motion calls attention to a federal, state and territory funding pact that runs out at the end of this year, affecting thousands of families.
The National Partnership for Universal Access to Early Childhood Education tops up state and territory funding for preschool and childcare, allowing for government funding to cover 15 hours of childcare a week, up from 12 hours.
Labor MLA Yvette Berry, who put forward the motion, said if the agreement was not continued the ACT government stood to lose about $7 million for 2015 and $28 million until 2018.
ACT Education Minister Joy Burch backed the motion, accusing the federal government of delaying the agreement by holding the discussions too late in the year.
A spokesman for Assistant Education Minister Sussan Ley hosed down alarm over the funding, saying there was provision made in the contingency reserve.
He said states and territories had signed up to a shorter agreement in mid-2013 under the previous Labor government that said the funding would be reviewed by June 30, which has happened.
"Labor didn't allocate 1¢ for this partnership beyond December 2014, so we're not talking about existing funding being in doubt as suggested here," he said.
The spokesman said Ms Ley agreed that certainty was important and "she had been pushing the states and territories to get the review completed earlier".
A review of the agreement has now been completed and states and territories are being consulted before an expected announcement on the funding later this month.
Opposition early childhood spokeswoman Kate Ellis visited a childhood centre in Marrickville on Wednesday, also calling for guarantees from the federal government on kindergarten and preschool funding for next year.
Ms Ellis said it was unsurprising that there was bipartisan support for the motion in the assembly.
"This uncertainty is causing great pain to services, families and parents as without certainty of funding preschool providers can't hire teachers, set fees, or guarantee enough hours, in turn leaving parents' work commitments up in the air," Ms Ellis said.
Before a meeting of state and territory leaders later this month, Ms Burch said that, to her knowledge, "all state and territory education ministers are as one on ensuring this funding continues".
