Community
20 February, 2025
Candidate vows support for childcare reform
INDEPENDENT candidate for Wannon Alex Dyson has backed urgent reform to address the region’s severe shortage of early learning and childcare services.
A group of 72 organisations known as The Parenthood has called on Wannon candidates to commit to national childcare reforms in the lead-up to the federal election.
A piece of childcare reform to relieve cost-of-living pressures for families passed through federal parliament last Thursday, despite the Liberal Party voting against it.
Families will be able to access three days a week of subsidised early childhood education for children who need it from January 2026.
The reforms also abolished the activity test for childcare subsidy limits.
Mr Dyson said it was disappointing the Liberal Party opposed a crucial piece of reform to ease cost-of-living pressures on families.
“I’m not sure how the member for Wannon can say he’s worried about local families struggling with increased childcare costs while at the same time voting against legislation to provide cost-of-living relief,” he said.
“If elected, I will always vote in the best interests of Wannon families, not the major parties.
“Every child deserves the right to early education.”
Most of south west Victoria is classified as a ‘childcare desert’ with severe shortages or no services at all in communities across the electorate.
Mr Dyson said while work is happening at a local level to address the shortages, strong leadership is needed at a federal level to create genuine change.
“I heard so many childcare horror stories during my listening tour across Wannon last year, and I met with The Parenthood in Warrnambool in early February to talk about the national reforms we need around childcare,” he said.
“I am absolutely committed to supporting their good work to get a better deal for childcare across the south west.
“The crisis we face now has been years in the making.
“We need long-term solutions as well as quick fixes to ease the pressure, and this needs decisive action at federal level.
“We can’t afford to mess around or politicise this.”
Mr Dyson said he supported solutions proposed by The Parenthood’s Access For Every Child: Regional, Rural and Remote statement.
“Building a local childcare workforce is key – we need to recruit and retain childcare staff by offering better pay, conditions, and affordable housing so that educators can live and thrive locally,” he said.
“We need incentives for childcare services and staff in our communities, as well as funding a Childcare Centre of Excellence at Deakin University.
“Strong public management and a funding model that supports childcare providers to deliver services, knowing they’ll receive funding regardless of enrolment numbers, is also important.
“In the shorter term, support for rural nannies, in-home care, and expanding options such as family day care, mobile childcare, and playgroups can help fill that gap.”
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