12th December, 2008

Australia ranks 22 out of 24 developed nations when it comes to providing childcare services, accordiong to a UNICEF study.

The UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre research found Australia met just two of 10 benchmarks - providing subsidised and regulated childcare services for 25 per cent of children aged under three, and ensuring 50 per cent of staff in accredited earky education services were tertiary educated with relevant qualifications - and spent less than the recommended one per cent of gross domestic product on childcare.

Sweden - which met all 10 benchmarks - was ranked highest for childcare followed by Iceland, Denmark, Finland, France and Norway. Australia was only ahead of Canada and Ireland and behind countries including Mexico and Slovenia.

The centre’s director, Marta Santos Pais, says high quality early childhood education and care has a “huge potential to enhance children’s cognitive, linguistic, emotional and social development”.

“It can help boost educational achievement, limit the early establishment of disadvantage, promote inclusion, be an investment in good citizenship, and advance progress for women.”

- DAVID ADAMS

~ www.unicef.org