<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/women" rel="" target="_blank" title="Women"><span>Women</span></a><span>'s Minister Katy Gallagher has been criticised for saying children are better off the earlier they enter </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/childcare" rel="" target="_blank" title="early education or childcare"><span>early education or childcare</span></a><span>, with one advocacy group saying the "mothers of Australia are furious".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking to </span><em><span>The Australian</span></em><span>, the senior </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/labor" rel="" target="_blank" title="Labor "><span>Labor</span></a><span> figure ruled out calls from </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/nationals" rel="" target="_blank" title="the Nationals"><span>the Nationals</span></a><span> to pursue income-splitting for families to encourage parents to spend more time with their newborns.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said while she was not telling parents what to do, there was evidence the sooner a child enters early education or care, the better prepared they are for formal schooling.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/federal-budget-2026-what-to-expect-signficant-changes-announcements-explainer/94106a49-6102-447d-bb6a-53aabc1d4a5f" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Promise-breaking tax changes to come into effect next year</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"For me, it worked. It was the choice I took for my kids and I think they did benefit, overall, from learning how to get on with others and being exposed to that environment," she told the newspaper.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But I accept parents have different views on this. That's why family daycare has been there, that's why occasional care has been there, long daycare."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The remarks have drawn the ire of some women's and children's advocacy groups. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/katy-gallagher-childcare-comments-draw-ire/49c90f06-1448-46f5-9912-4ad8ee4be2be" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Childcare Choice, a national campaign that advocates for parents as the primary carers, said "the mothers of Australia are furious". </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The group's spokesperson, Madeleine Simmons, said the remarks were tone deaf.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What the minister isn't talking about in anything she has said is the people who it doesn't work for," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If you've got a child that has type 1 diabetes, putting them into daycare as early as possible doesn't work. If you've got a child who is neurodiverse, putting them into daycare as early as possible doesn't work."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/hantavirus-warning-argentina/efd50397-c630-4ee0-acc5-8ecd083331f6" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Hantavirus travel warning issued by Australian authorities</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Early Childhood Australia chief executive Samantha Page said the conversation was more complicated than Gallgaher made it out to be.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Children can absolutely thrive in early childhood education and care and do well if they've got good, stable educators around them and it's a quality service," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What we really don't want is very young children in poor-quality services because that is not good for children.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In Australia, we do have a world-leading quality framework, so we have the foundations of good quality, but what we need to make sure is that every single service is meeting those standards and has stability in the education team."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government has recently proposed an early education and care commission to lead sector-wide reform. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>