Senate Passes New Law Guaranteeing 3 Free Days of Childcare per Week

The bill passed with support from the Greens and most crossbenchers.

A small group of children play at the Robertson Street Kindy Childcare Centre in Helensburgh south of Sydney, Australia, on April 3, 2020. AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Families earning under $530,000 a year will now be guaranteed three days of taxpayer-subsidised childcare per week, free from the previous “activity test,” after the legislation passed Parliament on Feb. 13.

Introduced by Minister for Early Childhood Ann Aly last week, the policy ensures a minimum of 72 taxpayer-subsidised hours of childcare per fortnight for lower-middle income families