An inquiry is to be held into how the Australian childcare system can be improved to meet the needs of modern families. It will be conducted by the Productivity Commission.
The federal government announced on Sunday the review would invite ideas from the community and childcare sector about ways the system could be more flexible, affordable and accessible.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said families needed a childcare system that was affordable and allowed parents to work flexible hours knowing their children were receiving quality care.
"Our childcare system should be responsive to the needs of today's families and today's economy, not the five-day, 9am-5pm working week of last century," Mr Abbott said in a statement.
It's the first public examination of child care and early-years learning since the 1990s, and fulfils an election promise from the Abbott government for a review within 12 months of taking office.
AAP reports the federal government is the largest funder of the childcare sector, with expenditure of more than $A5 billion per year, which is forecast to grow in coming years.
In 2012, childcare and early-learning services enrolled more than 1.3 million children in at least one childcare or preschool programme at nearly 20,000 venues.
The government said the inquiry was necessary because families were struggling to find quality and affordable child care, children with special needs weren't being properly supported, and a "small but significant" number of children were starting school with developmental delays.
The commission will also consider any specific models of care, including from overseas, that could trialled in Australia.
Public hearings and submissions will be held before a draft report is released. AAP reports the final report should be provided before the end of October 2014.
