The Y in Australia warmly welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of a 15 % pay increase over two years for Early Childhood and Education Care (ECEC) employees. The Government has also confirmed the increase will apply to Out of School Hour Care staff.

 Interim CEO Alexandra Ash said the Y has long added its voice to the sector’s calls for wage increases for this vital workforce. Funding for a significant wage increase was the key priority for the Y in our Federal Budget submission and our submissions to Government Inquiries over the last two years.

 “As the Prime Minister put it so well – ‘early educators shape lives and change lives’,” Alexandra said.

 “The Y employs around 4000 ECEC staff across Australia. We know firsthand their importance to both children and families, to childhood development and to support women’s participation in the workplace.

 These staff deserve to be paid properly.

 We look forward to working with the Government on implementation.

 Here’s a link for further information – Pay rise for early educators while keeping fees down for families | Prime Minister of Australia (pm.gov.au)