Big Steps Forward for Childcare in Australia

Congratulations to our friends and clients at United Voice Queensland. They just won the largest funding increase in early childhood educators’ wages in history – without raising fees for parents and families.

As I mentioned last week, we’re big fans of United Voice.  They’re a large and growing union that combines workplace, community and digital organizing to win campaigns that matter for working families.  Their ‘Big Steps’ campaign brought broad based community support for childcare workers to bear on elected officials of all stripes - and won.

We're thrilled to have had the opportunity to help on the digital-side of the campaign by helping to leverage NationBuilder's digital organizing tools for United Voice Queensland & the Big Steps Campaign. 

Today’s victory will add $114 or more per week for staff in accredited centres – without raising fees on parents or costs for employers.

From United Voice Queensland President Gary Bullock:

It’s win-win-win: for parents, for employers and for children. This victory means:

• Less staff turnover. Instead of hundreds of educators leaving the profession every week, people will no longer have to leave the job they love in order to pay the bills.

• More available, affordable high-quality childcare options. As centres have an easier time attracting and retaining the best staff, we’ll help ease the squeeze on childcare places. This will make life easier for parents who want to go back to paid work, and easier for employers in the childcare sector and every sector.

• The best care for young children. Children will benefit the most: with trained, committed staff able to build relationships with them over the long-term.