Legislation introduced last week to reduce childcare fees for most Australian families will change lives, one Canberra mum says.
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There will be an increased subsidy for families earning up to around $520,000 a year, starting from July 1, 2023.
Households with a gross income of up to nearly $72,500 will receive a 95 per cent subsidy.
Families making between about $177,500 and $257,000 will get 80 per cent off fees.
And higher income families making between around $347,000 and $522,500 will have up to a 50 per cent rebate.
The subsidy is also impacted by how many hours parents work or volunteer, and how many children they have.
Googong mother Bec Wall said she and her partner pay around $30,000 to send one of their children to daycare.
"He'll go to [primary] school next year, and we'll have a significant saving," she said.
"[The subsidy] will change other people's lives. It will mean they can return to work or make other decisions because they can afford to."
Education Minister Jason Clare claimed women with young children would work up to 1.4 million hours more per week in 2023-24 following the reforms.
The measures are expected to cost the government $4.5 billion over four years.
Mr Clare claimed the cost of sending children to early learning centres has skyrocketed.
"Costs have gone up by 41 per cent in the last eight years," he said.
"Last year 73,000 people who wanted to work, didn't look ... because they couldn't make childcare costs work.
"Around 96 per cent of families with children in early education and care will be better off."
Canberra has the highest daycare fees in Australia.
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However, early education leaders have said the reforms do not address the fundamental problems of educators leaving the industry in droves and childcare deserts.
Educators are leaving the industry because they are underpaid and underappreciated, United Workers Union early education director Helen Gibbons said.
A recent study by the University of Canberra found early childhood educators experience high levels of emotional distress.
Advocacy group The Parenthood said Australia will need the equivalent of 9650 additional full-time educators by next year to absorb additional demand for care.
Michelle and Luke van den Hoek have two children in care full time, which they said costs around $500 a week.
Ms van den Hoek said savings from the subsidy would help the family.
"It does feel like I'm working just to sort of pay for childcare in a lot of instances," she said.
"[It feels like if] you want to live your life again and go back to work and have your space as an adult, you have to pay for it.
"[The subsidy will mean] we have a bit more money in the budget, we can save a bit more."
Under the new reforms, Indigenous families can access 36 subsidised hours of care regardless of how much they work or volunteer.
Mr Clare said this will benefit 6600 households.
"Two in five Indigenous children are developmentally vulnerable in one or more domains when they start school," he said.
However, UNSW education expert Dr Jennifer Skattebol said much more was needed to help lower-income and Indigenous children.
She said the government needed to ensure quality early education and attract Indigenous people to the sector.
"Subsidising families doesn't necessarily mean that those families are able to access and use high-quality care," Dr Skattebol said.
"For-profit providers have gone into low-income areas and then offered a less than high-quality service."
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