The Front Project celebrates the historic 15% wage increase for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professionals, announced by the Federal Government.

Increased wages finally reflect the important contribution that teachers and educators make to young children’s education and development. We congratulate the unions and providers who have been involved in multi-employer negotiations, and the educators who have long advocated for this outcome.  

In response to the announcement, the Front Project’s CEO Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow said: 

“Improved wages and conditions are essential to addressing attraction and retention challenges within the workforce. These changes represent a significant shift in policy, signaling the government’s willingness to embrace system stewardship to ensure that the ECEC system works for everyone.”

The Front Project’s 2023 research showed that 79% of surveyed parents and caregivers want to see improved wages and working conditions for ECEC professionals.

“Parents and caregivers understand that better pay is not only fair but also crucial for attracting and retaining quality educators who are committed to the long-term development of their children. Parents want their children to form strong, secure bonds with their educators, and this wage boost will help keep educators in the sector” Dr Croser-Barlow said.

Furthermore, we also welcome the requirement for providers who sign up to this agreement to not increase parent fees by more than 4.4% over the next year and for the wage increase to be passed on in full.

The Front Project CEO, Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow is optimistic.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the government towards alleviating barriers to accessing early learning and striding towards a universal ECEC system in Australia.