Australian government urged to guarantee three days of childcare a week for all children under five

Early childhood educators say Australia is facing a crisis at its childcare centres, with staffing shortages putting the safety of children and babies at risk. Photograph: Alan Porritt/AAP

All children in Australia under the age of five should be able to access at least three days of childcare a week regardless of their parents’ work and income circumstances, the Productivity Commission has said.

Labor tasked the commission with investigating the design of an affordable, accessible, high-quality, universal early education system in February, including a universal 90% subsidy rate to families for childcare fees, which the Albanese government has floated as an aspiration.