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Early Childhood Education and Care Sector

Published on: August 2026

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-168104

Early Childhood Education and Care Sector

Business resumed.

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (18:21:19):

I echo the acknowledgement of one of the best Coures we have ever had in the House. I thank Sammy for joining us and wish him a happy birthday. This Early Learning Matters Week, we are recognising the incredible work early childhood education makes to the lives of our children, families and communities. I thank the educators in my electorate and across the State, those who turn up early, stay late, comfort a crying toddler on their first day away from mum and dad, and do it all on wages that do not reflect the qualifications, emotional labour or responsibility the job demands. They deserve our respect, and this week they get our thanks. Every day, early childhood educators create safe, quality environments where children can grow, learn and develop. Their work supports not only our littlest learners but also the parents and carers who rely on them to do one of the most important jobs there is. It allows mums and dads to return to work, knowing their children are safe, nurtured and learning. We do not say thank you to them often enough.

I have experienced firsthand how important those early years are, with seven years of my own early learning experiences as a mum. They are not just about preparing children for school; they are about building confidence, curiosity, resilience, social skills and a lifelong love of learning. The foundations laid in a child's first five years shape the adult they will become, and that is a responsibility our early learning sector carries every single day. As a local MP, I recently had the pleasure of visiting a number of my amazing local preschools like Shirley Road Gowrie, the Northern Nursery School in Mosman and Kelly's Place in Crows Nest, which is sadly being closed down by North Sydney Council later this year. Tomorrow I will visit The Lookout in Mosman, which recently won the North Shore Local Business Award.

Everywhere I go, I hear that the sector is crying out for a government that listens and that can appreciate the lived experience of educators, providers and families. Behind every one of those conversations is a family trying to do right by their child and a workforce of caring educators trying to do right by every child in their care, often without the recognition or the resourcing they deserve. Families in this State are not feeling the benefits of early learning that this week celebrates; they are feeling the cost, confusion, shortages and often fears for safety. Waiting lists in growth areas remain long. Regional and outer metropolitan areas continue to face genuine "childcare deserts" where there simply are not enough places, let alone affordable ones, within a reasonable distance of home.

Today I welcomed to the Parliament Tommy Schumacher and his family. His mum, Jess, is advocating for support for children with disabilities after experiencing what she says was her own little boy, Tommy, being excluded from his early learning centre because of his disability. We need to make sure that every child, regardless of their ability or disability, can access early learning and care. I appreciate that the Deputy Premier said she will look into the support that Tommy needs.

Community preschools, long day care providers, family day care educators and outside-school-hours care services are all dealing with increasing costs, workforce shortages, complex regulations and growing demand for services. Educators continue to go above and beyond for children and families, but too often they do so without the support they deserve. Educators are leaving the sector faster than we can train replacements, chasing better pay and better conditions. Families deserve more than promises; they deserve access to affordable, high-quality services staffed by experienced and highly qualified professionals with whom they feel their children are safe. Educators deserve certainty, recognition and the resources they need to continue delivering outstanding care and education.

We believe that improving outcomes for children requires long-term planning and sustained investment in the early years. It means working in partnership with educators, providers and families to build a system that supports children at every stage of their development. This week I encourage all members of this place to take the opportunity to thank the educators, teachers, directors and support staff who make such an extraordinary contribution to our communities and also to the lives of our little ones. Their work is often undertaken quietly and without fanfare, but its impact is immeasurable. I place my thanks on record to every early childhood educator, director and staff member working across this sector in our State. They show up for our children every single day, often for long hours and modest pay that they deserve more of, and they shape the future of this State in ways that are too often overlooked in this place. Their work matters, and this week we say thank you.