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.

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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…

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