Parents would be able to sublet their precious childcare places while they are on holiday or on maternity leave under a Productivity Commission idea that has been backed by the Abbott government.
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The federal minister with responsibility for childcare, Sussan Ley, has come out strongly in favour of the commission's recommendation that the government removes regulatory requirements to allow parents to temporarily return their childcare places if they are not being used.
While centres may charge an administrative fee for this, it would be substantially lower than the current cost of holding a place.
''Once the place is allocated, the place has to be yours until you decide to give it [away] and even if you don't use it, you have to pay for it,'' Ms Ley said of the existing system.
The Assistant Minister for Childcare told Fairfax Media the commission's recommendation to free up parents and childcare centres ''really resonated'' with her.
She cited the example of a father who was a fly-in-fly-out worker, who may want to take their child out of childcare for an ad hoc week to spend time with them. ''Doesn't that make sense?''
The commission handed down its 900-page draft report into childcare and early childhood learning on Tuesday, with the broad aim of creating a more flexible and accessible sector. Along with suggesting that extra funds for the Coalition's controversial paid parental leave scheme be diverted into childcare, the report flagged government support for nannies and grandparents and a single, means-tested childcare payment. A final report is due by the end of October.
While the government has said it could not give a full response until it gets the final report, Ms Ley has given some strong indications about where the Coalition is leaning.
This week, the early childhood union, United Voice, rejected the commission's proposal to remove the requirement for degree-qualified educators for children aged under three. But Ms Ley said the Productivity Commission made a ''good point'', arguing there was no doubt that formal qualification requirements were adding to childcare costs and that qualified staff may not be available.
She said she would wait for a separate report into the National Quality Framework (that sets standards for childcare) due at the end of the year, before reaching a position.
