Funding and Quality Requirements for Early Childhood Education and Care Worker Grants
Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers (Special Account - Extending Support and Strengthening Safety) Bill 2026
House of Representatives
Senate
Assent
Topics
child care child safety early childhood education education quality government grants wage justice
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The government must credit $3,654.4 million to the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers account.
Grant recipients must sign a written agreement with the Commonwealth to set out the terms and conditions of their funding.
Grant agreements can now require child care services to maintain a 'Meeting National Quality Standard' rating for quality area 2.
Grant agreements can specify the consequences if a service fails to meet that quality rating.
The law now includes improving the quality and safety of early childhood education and care as a purpose of the Act.
The deadline for certain provisions under the Act moves from 30 June 2028 to 31 December 2029.
News articles and press releases
Second reading speech
Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education — 2026-08-12
They could get paid more stacking shelves than they could educating the most precious things in our lives: our children.