Media Statement - 16th November 2007
A Rudd Labor Government will invest $35 million over four years to introduce a Healthy Kids Check for all four olds as part of sweeping improvements to early childhood services.
Federal Labor will provide a $45 Medicare Rebate for a Healthy Kids Check for four year olds will include measuring eyesight, hearing, and height and body mass index.
On April 10, Federal Labor announced it’s intention to introduce a Healthy Kids Check and today Federal Labor is delivering on that commitment.
This will benefit around 255,000 four year old children across the nation and almost 25,000 here in Western Australia.
Federal Labor’s Healthy Kids Check for all four-year olds will help ensure Australia’s children are healthy, fit, and ready to learn when they start school.
Federal Labor will also introduce a Healthy Habits for Life Guide and information session for parents, to provide parents with practical, accessible tips on their children’s health and development at one of the most critical times in their young lives – the start of school.
The Healthy Kids Check and information session will be offered with each child's 4 year immunisation, connecting families with the primary health care system.
The Healthy Kids Check will be delivered:
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By GPs or practice nurses through a new Medicare item, claimable in conjunction with the four year immunisation - approximately 70 per cent of children have their immunisations at the GP;
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By local councils and community health centres which run immunisation clinics, for the 30 per cent of children who receive their immunisation from these services.
Parents will receive the Healthy Habits for Life Guide at the same time.
Federal Labor will monitor the need for follow up services, particularly any services not available under existing referral arrangements.
This measure forms part of Federal Labor’s Plan for Early Childhood which includes:
- Fifteen hours a week of high quality preschool for all four year olds
- 260 additional long day care centres on school and community sites
- A 50% Child Care Tax Rebate (up to $7,500 per child)
- Workforce training and education to improve quality of child care
- The national rollout of the Australian Early Development Index in every Australian primary school
- New parenting programs in 50 disadvantaged communities
- Early intervention services and specialised child care services for children with autism
Investing in human capital formation will deliver significant benefits to individuals, society and the economy. International research demonstrates that early investment in high quality education and care yields a high rate of return measured in terms of individual achievement, productivity and participation.
Investing in high quality early education and care can also reduce the disadvantages of birth.
The OECD has recognised through its ongoing country-wide assessments that early access to early childhood education and care provides young children with a “good start in life”.[i] The OECD says early childhood education is a public good because of its effects in reducing educational disadvantage and releasing parents to participate in the workforce.[ii]
Cost/benefit analysis of high quality early learning shows that for every dollar invested the public returns are as high as $10.[iii]
Despite these clear social and economic benefits, Australia’s investment in early education is only one fifth of the OECD average, placing us at the bottom of the ladder of developed nations.
Federal Labor has set out an ambitious set of reforms to address this deficit and provide a stronger platform for our children. Labor’s aim is to realise gains in children’s reading, writing and numeracy and ultimately lift school retention rates by giving children a head start.