Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2123/2142

Title: Getting the basics right – goals that would deliver a good national children’s services system
Authors: Wannan, Lynne
Hill, Elizabeth
Pocock, Barbara
Elliott, Alison
Keywords: Early childhood education -- Australia.
Child care -- Australia.
Issue Date: 2007
Publisher: Sydney University Press
Citation: Kids Count: Better early childhood education and care in Australia
Abstract: Over the past three decades Australia’s children’s services system has been transformed from a predominantly publicly provided and operated community based system to a privatised, commercial market driven system. Today 70 per cent of our childcare services are privately owned and more than 25 per cent of our services are owned by one shareholder company. The National Association of Community Based Children’s Services (NACBCS) is an advocacy body and has been the principal force behind the retention of community based children’s services in Australia. NACBCS was formed in 1982 following the reporting of a federal government review of Australia’s Children’s Services Programme. This report, which became known as the Spender Report after the review committee’s chair John Spender, was never published but details of its recommendations were leaked. While many recommendations in the report were welcomed, some recommendations were strongly opposed, including recommendations that commercial services be subsidised by the federal government. Around the nation childcare advocates labelled such commercialisation of child care as inappropriate and destined to lead to poorer quality care as profit takers entered the service system and the service system became a market place. NACBCS came into being as the organising vehicle for these advocates and has remained an active advocacy body over the past three decades. It aims to protect a quality children’s services system and has put forward policy initiatives designed to curb the worst that commercialisation has brought to Australia’s children’s services.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2123/2142
ISBN: 978-1-920898-70-0
Rights and Permissions: Copyright Sydney University Press
Type of Work: Book chapter
Appears in Collections:Kids Count: Better early childhood education and care in Australia

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