New report recommends three days per week free childcare

Playing at the childcare centre Source: Getty / Getty Images

A new report by the Centre for Policy Development has recommended three days per week of free childcare for some families with a small fee for others. The report argues child care should be seen in the same light as public education and Medicare, which is offered to all Australians.

Australia has some of the highest childcare fees in the world, ranked 26th out of 32 countries in the O-E-C-D on the affordability of childcare.
A report by think tank, the Centre for Policy Development has weighed into the debate, charting a path towards adopting a universal childcare system in ten years.
Affordability remains a key issue, with a report in January by the ACCC finding the federal government's reformed Child Care Subsidy (from July 2023) was providing little assistance to families due to the higher increases in fees charged by service providers.