Experts develop six-step plan to restore trust in the childcare system

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Some leading early childhood academics have joined forces to release a 6-point policy action plan to help fix the childcare system. It comes in the wake of a yearlong ABC investigation uncovering widespread physical and sexual abuse and regulatory failures in the 22-billion-dollar sector.

Transcript

00:00The childcare sector is reeling as allegations of physical and sexual abuse continue to rock

00:07the industry. A Four Corners investigation last month revealed almost 150 childcare workers

00:14were convicted or accused of sexual offences against children. Now a group of 55 leading

00:21professionals have teamed up across the country to create the Early Childhood Professoriate

00:27Advisory Council calling for change. The group came together in response to what we've all

00:34been seeing and hearing about in the early years sector. Now is the moment for us all

00:41to do better together. The Alliance has written to state, territory and federal childcare ministers

00:47with a six point policy action plan calling for a range of measures including stronger

00:53quality controls including changing staff to child ratios from 1 to 4 to 1 to 3 for children

01:002 and under, resourcing regulators to conduct unannounced inspections and the creation of

01:07a National Early Childhood Commission. In a statement the Early Childhood Education Minister,

01:13Jess Walsh, said she'd received the six point plan and would be happy to meet with the professors.

01:19She said further reforms would improve coordination across the sector including consideration of an

01:25early childhood commission. The letter comes as the childcare sector struggles to regain the trust

01:31of the public in the wake of major regulatory and policy failures. What we're calling out is that

01:38all of our providers, large providers, small providers need to put children first. That this is not about

01:44our profits, this is about children. Experts say urgent, deeper reform can't wait any longer.

01:51Can't wait any longer.

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