Australia’s early childhood education sector is facing a reckoning, as a Senate inquiry uncovers widespread concerns about declining quality and child well-being—particularly in for-profit early learning services.
The Centre for Policy Development (CPD) has sounded the alarm in its submission to the inquiry, revealing that children in some centres are experiencing:
- Hunger and inadequate meals
- Forced sleep and prolonged “down-time”
- Lack of supervision and emotional neglect
These issues are not isolated. They reflect systemic challenges in a sector increasingly dominated by profit-driven operators.
CPD’s analysis shows a dramatic drop in the proportion of services rated as “exceeding” the National Quality Standard:
- 2018: 32.5% of services exceeded standards
- 2023: Only 17.8% met that benchmark
This decline coincides with the rapid expansion of for-profit providers, raising questions about whether commercial priorities are compromising care.
The data paints a clear picture:
- 71.3% of long day care services are now for-profit (up from 59.1% in 2014)
- 93% of new services opened in the past year were for-profit
Despite charging higher fees, many of these services fall short on quality indicators compared to not-for-profit counterparts.
Professor Karen Thorpe’s research, cited in the inquiry, documents troubling practices:
- Children going hungry while educators give away their own food
- Children forced to lie down for over 2.5 hours while staff complete administrative tasks
- Emotional and developmental needs sidelined due to staffing pressures
The inquiry has sparked urgent calls for
- Stronger regulatory oversight
- Transparent reporting and accountability
- Trauma-informed, child-centred practices
- Better support and conditions for educators
Educators, families, and advocates are demanding reform. Many are calling for a shift away from profit-driven models toward community-led, quality-focused care that prioritises children’s well-being.
Reference:
Childcare Standards Drop As More For-Profits Enter Sector
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