Continued the debate
Clare argued that the bill secures a 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators, which has helped attract 20,000 new workers and support over 215,000 existing staff. The legislation locks in these wage increases, resulting in weekly pay boosts of $255 for typical educators and $410 for teachers compared to December 2024 levels. Funding is conditional on services limiting fee increases, which has already reduced fee growth rates at participating centres by half compared to non-participating ones. Additionally, the bill ties financial support to compliance with quality area 2 of the national quality standard regarding children's health and safety. Clare stated that the measure benefits workers, parents, and children by ensuring sector stability and high safety standards.