Tuesday, 30 August 2022

 Mr FOWLES (Burwood) (14:46): (6505) My constituency question is directed to the Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep in the other place. Minister, how will my electorate of Burwood benefit from the announcement that the Andrews government will make kinder free from next year? For working families, childcare costs are a significant barrier to parents returning to the workforce. As a father of four, I understand the difficulties of childcare costs and the specific burden it places on women, as they still represent the overwhelming majority of primary caregivers. Returning to work or being a stay-at-home parent should be a decision made based on the needs of each family, not on the expense of the childcare system. I recently had the pleasure of joining the minister on a visit to Ringwood Uniting kindergarten and was delighted to spend time with the children, who were enjoying the benefits of an early childhood education. Many of those children are part of Burma’s Chin community, an amazing community that gives so much to the east. I look forward to hearing from Minister Stitt about just how this investment into early childhood will lighten financial stress on young families and provide opportunities for parents to return to the workforce.