Squiz Shortcuts: The universal childcare promise

Since becoming the leader of the federal Labor party, Anthony Albanese has repeatedly said that one of his major goals is a universal child care system. And in late 2024, in the lead-up to last year’s federal election, he said that the policy would be a big part of his second term agenda. We’re now nearly a year into the Albanese government’s second term, so we thought we’d take a look at what universal childcare actually is, what’s happened so far, and what might come next. Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz Recommends:  Reading: You’re in for a meaty read, but if you’re keen to get into the detail, here’s the Productivity Commission’s report into Universal Childcare…  Watching: And here’s a critical take on the government’s plans from childhood industry expert Jen Fleming… SPONSORED - Find out what Australians think AI's biggest benefits will be at safeai.org.au SPONSORED - For more information about working at Amazon Australia - or to take a free tour to see behind the scenes there, visit amazontours.com/au Got a suggestion for a Squiz Shortcut topic? We'd love to hear it - email us at [email protected] ⁠Squiz Shortcuts⁠ is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the free Shortcuts newsletter here.