Some of our witnesses in our scheduled public hearings have also provided written submissions to support their statements. These are available to download below.
Session 1: Challenges in the Country: Panel discussion with parents and providers
- Kirsten Wilks, Representative, Kingston SE Early Learning and Childcare Services Working Group
- Stephanie Wurst, Chairperson, Parndarna Child Care Working Group
- Katie Hughes, Southern Yorke Peninsula (SYP) Childcare Feasibility Group
Session 2: The impact of inflexible ECEC and lack of ECEC on women's participation in the workforce
Danielle Wood is CEO of the Grattan Institute where she heads a team of leading policy thinkers, researching and advocating policy to improve the lives of Australians.
Danielle was previously Principal Economist and Director of Merger investigations at the ACCC, a Senior Economist at NERA Economic Consulting and Senior Research Economist the Productivity Commission. She holds an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Adelaide and two Masters degrees, one in Economics and one in Competition Law, from the University of Melbourne.
Danielle is a member of the Australian Government’s Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce, the Parliamentary Budget Office Expert Advisory Committee and the Commonwealth Bank CEO Advisory Council.
Learn more about Danielle Wood
Grattan Institute - Submission on cheaper childcare bill (PDF, 392.8 KB)
Grattan Institute - Report on cheaper childcare (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Session 3: Out of School Hours Care: Panel discussion with stakeholders and providers
Komala Champion is Head of Children’s Services at the YMCA, responsible for 33 Out-of-School-Hours Care (OSHC) services and 2 Early Learning and Care Centres.
Over the last 5 years, Komala has overseen the growth in YMCA OSHC services from 6 to 33, something which has happened as a result of strong partnerships with school leaders and their communities and a strong focus on quality of care.
Komala is passionate about upskilling people and teams to work effectively within their communities to create the best possible environment for children within the YMCA’s care.
Angela Falkenberg is the President of the SA Primary Principals Association (since 2018) and is past principal of Hampstead Primary School, Lake Windemere B-7 Schools and Marryatville Primary School. She has also held leadership positions in secondary schools.
Her teaching career began in Indigenous education in the Norther Territory and has included roles in primary and secondary education with a focus on students and families experiencing educational disadvantage.
She also led a three-year health care project in the neonatal nurseries of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. She continues to embrace the joy of life-long learning.
Session 4: Childcare deserts
Associate Professor Peter Hurley is the Director of the Mitchell Institute, an education and health policy think tank based at Victoria University. Peter’s expertise is in education policy and international education systems.
In ECEC, Peter is most known for his work into childcare accessibility, known as ‘childcare deserts’.
Learn more about Professor Peter Hurley
Submission to the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Deserts and Oases: How accessible is childcare in Australia? (PDF, 2.0 MB)
Preschool: Two years are better than one (PDF, 3.4 MB)
Counting the Cost to Families: Assessing childcare affordability in Australia (PDF, 1.0 MB)
Session 5: The role of the Education Standards Board in early childhood education
Kerry has a 20-year career in social regulation, assessing quality and reporting performance against legislative obligations in the areas of health care and personal injury.
Kerry was appointed as Chief Executive and Registrar at the Education Standards Board in December 2021.
Submission to the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care (PDF, 556.4 KB)
