The Australian Government has proposed an amendment to the Child Care Activity Test in order to give Australian households access to three days a week of subsidised early childhood education and care. If this legislation passes, families can get at least 72 subsidised hours of care for each child every fortnight from 2026. This is regardless of their recognised activity level—how much work, study, or volunteering they do.

Many education advocates, including Early Childhood Australia (ECA), welcome the introduction of this legislation. An estimated 80,000+ children miss out on childcare as a result of their families not meeting the eligibility criteria. ECA says that this will “substantially lower the out-of-pocket costs for many families who find themselves running out of subsidised hours while trying to re-enter the workforce or manage uncertain and precarious employment”. Families experiencing difficulty in the current economic environment will greatly benefit from this reform.

More information about the proposed changes can be found here:
https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/announcements/3day-guarantee-legislation-introduced