# Question 35: I have a school-age child who needs additional learning support. Getting suitable help at school is my main concern, and I sometimes reduce paid work to care for them. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What are the parties proposing about learning support, specialist staff and support for children with additional needs?

Collected 31 October 2026

[NZ Election 2026 · Edition 7 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/7)

## ChatGPT

Answer ID: 40925300-a4ad-4c97-a73f-f73010c8c304

# 2026 New Zealand election: learning support and children with additional needs

For a family whose main concern is getting appropriate help for a child at school, there are several important differences between the parties' proposals.

The key issues to compare are:

- Access to support: How quickly can children get help, and who qualifies?
- Specialist staff: Will schools have access to speech-language therapists, educational psychologists, learning support coordinators and other specialists?
- In-class assistance: Will there be enough teacher aides to provide individual or small-group support?
- High and complex needs: What happens to children who need substantial, ongoing assistance?
- Family support: What recognition is given to parents and caregivers whose caring responsibilities affect their ability to work?

I've focused on the policies available as at 31 October 2026, rather than relying on older election promises. The comparison covers National, Labour, the Greens, ACT, New Zealand First, Te Pāti Māori and the Opportunities Party (TOP). Some parties have published more detailed education commitments than others.

## 1. What the main parties are proposing

### National

Incumbent government

National's approach is to expand the existing learning-support system, with more early identification, additional staff and increased funding.

Its commitments include:

- Learning Support Coordinators for every school with Year 1–8 students by 2028.
- More than two million additional teacher-aide hours annually from 2028.
- Training for teacher aides supporting children with behavioural, emotional and neurodiverse needs.
- A School Start Check to identify children's strengths and additional needs before school.
- Developmental milestones in early childhood education, with children needing help connected to Early Intervention Services.

National has also already introduced significant funding changes, including uncapping the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) so that all verified children with high and complex needs can receive funding. [Teaching the basics brilliantly](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/education-teaching-the-basics-brilliantly)[Budget 2025: Largest boost to Learning Support in a generation](https://www.national.org.nz/news/20250522-honericastanfordboostlearningsupport)[Government Expands Learning Support for Thousands of Children](https://www.miragenews.com/government-expands-learning-support-for-1764489/)

What this could mean for families: More in-school assistance and earlier intervention are the main features. An important question is how quickly the additional teacher-aide hours and specialist services will reach individual children, and how much support each child will actually receive.

Official policy: [National education policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/education-teaching-the-basics-brilliantly?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### Labour

Labour's clearest new commitment is to increase individual classroom assistance.

Its proposals include:

- 1,000 additional teacher aides, costing $80 million over four years.
- Simplifying learning-support funding to give schools greater certainty and teacher aides greater job security.
- Building on the 2022 Highest Needs Review to identify gaps in the learning-support system and improve access to resources.

Labour says this is intended to give children more individual attention and reduce the pressure on classroom teachers. [Labour Pledges 1,000 Extra Teacher Aides in $80m Learning Support Plan](https://newswire.nz/a/RmLZwVaRGbBEI9kLfFlgAQiFTst/labour_would_fund_1_000_extra_teacher_aides_over_four_years_at_a_cost_of_80_million_says_education_spokesperson_ginny_andersen_alongside_simpler_funding_and_healthier_screen_boundaries_in_schools.html)[Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)

What this could mean for families: The extra teacher aides are a specific commitment that could help children who need regular in-class assistance. However, the announcement does not establish a new guaranteed number of aide hours for each child, nor does it set out a similarly detailed expansion of specialist therapist positions.

Official announcement: [Labour's policy website](https://www.labour.org.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### Green Party

The Greens propose a broader restructuring of how children access learning support.

Their education commitments include:

- Improving access to diagnosis and support services for children with disabilities and learning needs.
- Expanding the eligibility criteria for learning support.
- Establishing a single agency to coordinate and resource support for students with health and disability needs.
- Implementing the actions in the Framework for Action: A Quality Education for All.
- Developing a long-term education workforce plan, including fair wages and appropriate staffing levels.

[Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)[Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)

What this could mean for families: The expanded eligibility criteria could matter to children who have significant needs but do not currently qualify for sufficient support. The proposed single agency is intended to address fragmentation between services.

An important detail to investigate is how this would change actual access to teacher aides, therapists and specialist assessments, rather than simply changing the administrative structure.

Official policy: [Green Party website](https://www.greens.org.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### ACT

ACT's published education commitments include:

- A target of 10,000 charter-school enrolments by the end of 2029.
- Encouraging more state and state-integrated schools to become charter schools.
- Changes to teacher authority to remove seriously or persistently disruptive students from classrooms.
- An Open Seat Rule allowing children to use available seats on existing school bus routes, regardless of which school they attend.

The October 2026 disability policy comparison did not identify a specific ACT commitment to increase teacher-aide numbers, expand ORS or recruit additional learning-support specialists. [Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)

What this could mean for families: There are proposals affecting school choice, classroom management and transport, but less detail on additional resources for children who need ongoing individual learning support.

Official policy: [ACT website](https://www.act.org.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### New Zealand First

As at the 29–31 October policy comparison, no specific new education policy commitments had been published in the material reviewed.

That means there is not yet a sufficiently detailed published commitment to compare on:

- Teacher-aide numbers or hours.
- Learning Support Coordinators.
- Speech-language therapists and educational psychologists.
- ORS eligibility and funding.
- Specialist education places.

This is an absence of published detail, not proof that the party opposes additional learning support. [Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)

Official policy: [New Zealand First website](https://www.nzfirst.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori proposes a Māori-led approach to improving educational outcomes for Māori children with disabilities and additional learning needs.

Its commitments include:

- Establishing a Māori-led taskforce to transform how Māori students with disabilities, neurodiversity and learning differences are taught and supported.
- Establishing a Māori Education Authority.
- Addressing systemic exclusion within education.
- Funding free counselling in schools and making mental wellbeing a core part of the curriculum.

[Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)[Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)

What this could mean for families: The focus is on culturally responsive support, Māori leadership and addressing barriers that affect Māori children and whānau. The published proposals do not yet specify additional nationwide teacher-aide hours or a quantified expansion of specialist staff.

Official policy: [Te Pāti Māori website](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

### The Opportunities Party (TOP)

TOP has proposed a long-term approach to education and specialist support.

Its commitments include:

- A 10-year cross-party education plan to provide greater stability.
- Better delivery of investment in Learning Support Coordinators.
- Speech-language therapists and psychologists available to every school.
- Mental health services available to every school.
- Improved early childhood education staffing ratios and group sizes.

[Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)[Opportunity Disability Position Statement - October 2026](https://www.opportunity.org.nz/disability_statement)

What this could mean for families: TOP specifically identifies access to specialist professionals as a priority. Its proposals are relevant to children whose needs require more than ordinary classroom teaching or occasional teacher-aide assistance.

The published material does not yet give a detailed staffing timetable or a guaranteed level of individual support for each student.

Official policy: [The Opportunities Party website](https://www.opportunity.org.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

## 2. Comparison against the support your child may need

This table brings the commitments together, focusing on practical help rather than general education policy.

| Party | Teacher aides / classroom support | Specialist services | Access and eligibility |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National | 2 million extra annual aide hours by 2028 | More early intervention staff | Early identification and expanded support |
| Labour | 1,000 additional teacher aides | No equivalent quantified specialist expansion announced | Review gaps and simplify funding |
| Greens | Workforce and staffing improvements | Better diagnosis and support | Expand eligibility; single coordinating agency |
| ACT | No specific expansion announced | No specific expansion announced | Charter-school and transport changes |
| NZ First | No detailed commitment published | No detailed commitment published | Not yet clear |
| Te Pāti Māori | No quantified aide expansion | Māori-led taskforce | Address exclusion and barriers for Māori learners |
| TOP | Staffing improvements | Specialists, psychologists and mental health services in every school | Long-term coordinated education plan |

Sources: [Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)[Labour Pledges 1,000 Extra Teacher Aides in $80m Learning Support Plan](https://newswire.nz/a/RmLZwVaRGbBEI9kLfFlgAQiFTst/labour_would_fund_1_000_extra_teacher_aides_over_four_years_at_a_cost_of_80_million_says_education_spokesperson_ginny_andersen_alongside_simpler_funding_and_healthier_screen_boundaries_in_schools.html)[Opportunity Disability Position Statement - October 2026](https://www.opportunity.org.nz/disability_statement)[Teaching the basics brilliantly](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/education-teaching-the-basics-brilliantly)

## 3. What about parents who reduce paid work to care for their children?

This is an important part of your situation, because the consequences of inadequate learning support don't stop at the school gate.

When a child doesn't receive enough assistance, parents can end up having to:

- Attend frequent school meetings and appointments.
- Provide additional supervision or learning support at home.
- Collect children early or keep them home when their needs aren't being met.
- Reduce working hours or turn down employment opportunities.
- Coordinate assessments and services across several government agencies.

Some parties have broader disability and caregiver policies that are relevant here, even though they are not specifically education policies.

| Party | Relevant broader commitments |
| --- | --- |
| Greens | Recognise paid and unpaid care work as important economic infrastructure; propose a legal right to a minimum income. |
| Labour | Proposes a rights-based disability support framework developed with disabled people and carers, and stronger recognition of reasonable accommodation. |
| Te Pāti Māori | Explicitly recognises unpaid care and whānau support as valuable labour, and proposes better alignment of disability support with income and employment policies. |
| TOP | Proposes better connections between education, health and disability support systems, and greater choice over disability support navigators. |
| National | Its published commitments include wider family policies, but the learning-support proposals do not establish a specific new payment for parents who reduce work to care for children. |
| ACT | No specific new caregiver income commitment identified in the policies reviewed. |
| NZ First | No specific new caregiver income commitment identified in the policies reviewed. |

[Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)[Election 2026: Political Parties Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026)[Opportunity Disability Position Statement - October 2026](https://www.opportunity.org.nz/disability_statement)

One distinction worth making: recognising unpaid care work is not the same as offering a direct financial payment to parents. These proposals should not be interpreted as guaranteeing compensation for reduced employment.

## 4. Five questions worth asking before deciding

Given that your main concern is getting your child appropriate help at school, I would look beyond the headline funding announcements.

These are questions that could help distinguish between the parties' proposals.

1. Will my child actually receive individual support?

Will additional teacher-aide funding translate into guaranteed hours for children who need regular assistance, or will schools continue making difficult decisions about allocating limited resources?

2. Can my child access specialist professionals?

What will happen if they need a speech-language therapist, educational psychologist, occupational therapist or specialist teacher? Will there be shorter waiting times?

3. What happens if my child doesn't qualify for ORS?

Will there be adequate support for children whose needs are significant but fall below the ORS eligibility threshold?

4. Who coordinates everything?

Will someone be responsible for coordinating teachers, specialists, school leadership, parents and external services, so that you don't have to manage everything yourself?

5. What support is available to parents?

If your child's educational needs mean you have to reduce your working hours, are there practical financial, respite or disability-support arrangements to help?

These are particularly useful questions to put to local electorate candidates, as well as party spokespeople.

## 5. Where to check the policies independently

I would particularly recommend these resources:

- [CCS Disability Action – 2026 Election Policy Analysis](https://www.ccsdisabilityaction.org.nz/news/policy-analysis-2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com). This is a particularly useful disability-focused comparison of the parties.
- [The D\*List – Party policies simplified: Education](https://www.thedlist.co.nz/newsfeed/party-policies-simplified-education/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). Looks specifically at disabled students and education.
- [Policy.nz – 2026 education policy comparison](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/education?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
- [Ministry of Education](https://www.education.govt.nz/?utm_source=chatgpt.com). For information about existing learning-support services and eligibility.

## My suggested way to assess the choices

I wouldn't judge the parties simply by who announces the largest dollar figure.

For a family in your circumstances, there are three separate things to examine:

- Entitlement: Does your child have a reliable pathway to receive the support they need?
- Capacity: Are enough trained people available to deliver that support?
- Family impact: Does the policy reduce the amount of unpaid care and coordination that families have to provide?

A promise to employ more teacher aides, for example, is different from a promise that a child who needs one will actually receive a particular number of supported hours.

Likewise, improving access to specialists is different from guaranteeing timely assessments and ongoing treatment.

One final point: The policies described above are proposals and commitments, not guarantees of what will be delivered. The CCS Disability Action comparison was published on 30 October and explicitly notes that parties may release further policies.

Your experience as a parent is relevant to evaluating these commitments. The practical question is whether a policy changes what happens to your child on an ordinary school day, and whether it gives you more opportunity to remain in paid employment without having to compensate for gaps in school support.

I can also help you examine the parties' proposals specifically from the perspective of a parent who needs reliable school support while maintaining paid employment, including distinguishing actual financial assistance for caregivers from general disability-rights promises.

## Gemini

Answer ID: b814477c-fc7b-48cf-a254-250f66e6d84e

Navigating the learning support system for a child with additional needs—while balancing paid work and care responsibilities—is a significant challenge. In the context of the **2026 New Zealand general election**, political parties have outlined different approaches to learning support, specialist staffing, early intervention, and inclusive education. 

An overview of what the major parties are proposing provides insight into how they plan to address these concerns:

---

### **1. National Party**
* **Early Identification & Intervention:** National’s education platform emphasizes a **"School Start Check"** conducted during early childhood education (ECE) or upon school entry. The goal is to screen and identify developmental strengths or needs early and connect children needing extra help directly with **Early Intervention Services**.
* **Staffing:** Their policy framework commits to maintaining **Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs)** across schools and increasing the overall number of **teacher aides**. 
* **Focus:** Their broader approach stresses core foundational learning (structured literacy and numeracy) alongside targeted programs, aiming to catch learning gaps early.

### **2. Labour Party**
* **Teacher Aide Workforce:** Labour has pledged targeted funding to introduce **1,000 additional teacher aides** over four years (costing approximately $80 million) to expand individual, one-on-one classroom support for students who require it.
* **Focus:** Their policy focus generally emphasizes strengthening public resourcing, staffing numbers, and structural equity within state schools to ensure students with diverse learning needs receive localized classroom assistance.

### **3. Green Party**
* **Systemic Overhaul & Disability Support:** The Greens have placed a strong emphasis on addressing systemic exclusion within education settings. 
* **Māori-Led Focus:** They propose establishing a **Māori-led taskforce** specifically dedicated to transforming how neurodivergent students, disabled students, and those with learning differences are taught, supported, and included.
* **Wider Disability Support:** Outside of the classroom directly, the Greens are campaigning for accessible, timely income support to meet disability-related living and medical costs, which intersects with the financial strains faced by families reducing paid work to care for dependents.

### **4. ACT Party**
* **Behavior and Classroom Management:** ACT’s education policies focus heavily on classroom environment reforms. They propose giving teachers explicit legal powers to remove "seriously or persistently disruptive" students, alongside holding parents accountable in specific scenarios regarding property damage or mandatory meeting attendance. 
* **Focus:** While less focused on expanding state-funded specialist learning support roles, their policies target school autonomy, alternative education pathways like charter schools, and distinct behavioral management frameworks within mainstream settings.

### **5. Te Pāti Māori**
* **Māori Education Authority:** Te Pāti Māori advocates for systemic transformation through a dedicated Māori Education Authority and a strong emphasis on tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). Their focus is on dismantling structural barriers that block whānau and mokopuna with disabilities, learning differences, and neurodiversity from thriving in culturally safe environments.

---

### **Key Considerations for Your Vote**
When weighing your options with respect to your child's support and your work flexibility, you may want to look closer at:
1. **Direct Resourcing:** Which party's commitment to specialist staff, Learning Support Coordinators, and teacher aide numbers (such as National's LSC commitments or Labour's teacher aide targets) feels most tangible for your child's specific school environment?
2. **Early Intervention vs. Later Support:** Do you prefer policies focused on early childhood screening and connection to intervention (like National's School Start Check), or broader systemic and disability-rights frameworks (such as those proposed by the Greens or Te Pāti Māori)?
3. **Caregiver Support:** Because you mentioned reducing paid work, look also at broader party policies concerning disability allowances, carer support, and cost-of-living assistance, which directly impact households managing part-time work arrangements.

Are you looking for more details on a specific party's policy, or would you like to explore how current learning support mechanisms (like ORS funding or Learning Support Coordinators) operate right now?

## Google AI Mode

Answer ID: 375fdf12-0944-4bbe-a77d-2bf0718fede6

Navigating the learning support system for a child with additional needs while balancing paid work is a significant challenge, and learning support is a prominent issue in the current political landscape.

A breakdown of major party positions and announcements regarding learning support, specialist staff, and additional needs for the 2026 election context highlights distinct approaches:

 * **Labour Party:** Announced a specific policy to **fund 1,000 extra teacher aides** (costing $80 million over four years) and committed to building on previous reviews to find and close system gaps. Labour frames this around increasing direct classroom assistance and addressing historical shortfalls in frontline aid hours.

 * **National Party:** Emphasises its recent funding rollout—pointing to a previous $750 million investment in learning support. Their approach centers on expanding delivery through tracked metrics, such as increasing Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) high-needs places, contracting private-sector specialist places to cut wait times, adding hundreds more learning support coordinators in schools, and filling specialist roles rather than proposing an entirely new structural overhaul.

 * **Green Party:** Proposes expanding criteria to access learning support and establishing a **single dedicated agency** to coordinate and resource support for students with health and disability needs. They also focus heavily on improving early diagnosis access, implementing the _Framework for Action: A quality education for all_ , and raising baseline workforce wages and staffing levels.

 * **The Opportunities Party (TOP) / Community Advocates:** Propose establishing a **10-year cross-party plan for education** to bring long-term stability and ensuring specialist support (including speech-language therapists, psychologists, and learning support coordinators) is genuinely accessible to every school.

To help narrow down how these policies align with your specific situation, could you share:

 * What **type of support or specialist staff** (e.g., teacher aides, speech-language therapists, ORS funding) your child needs most urgently?
 * Whether they are currently in the **early intervention or school-age** bracket?

## AI Overviews

Answer ID: d324155a-a71d-42ed-ba56-d6e434a320db

In the 2026 New Zealand general election cycle, political parties are presenting distinct models for managing learning support, specialist staffing, and funding for children with additional needs. thedlist.co.nzParty policies, simplified: Education | The D*List

Because navigating these services often directly impacts your employment choices and household budget, the proposals focus heavily on reducing wait times, boosting specialized staff, and increasing classroom helper numbers. rnz.co.nzLabour promises to hire 1000 more teacher aides | RNZGreens want universal weekly payments for nurses, teachers

* * *

Comparison of 2026 Education & Learning Support Commitments

The table below directly contrasts how the major parties propose to resource and structure learning support: ccsdisabilityaction.org.nzElection 2026: Political Parties Policy AnalysisEducation policy guide | RNZ

Party| Classroom Support Staffing| Specialists & Wait Times| System Structure & Strategy
---|---|---|---
**National Party**| **Funding 2+ million teacher aide hours** annually by 2028.| **Contracts 1,000 private-sector specialists** to cut therapy wait times; funds Learning Support Coordinators in 100% of schools by 2028.| **Uncapped Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS)** funding to ensure allocations automatically track high-needs student numbers.
**Labour Party**| **Funding 1,000 extra teacher aides** ($80 million over four years) to ease classroom strain.| Broadly focuses on stabilizing existing support tracks and slowing down curriculum overhauls.| Focuses on a **"steady as she goes" stability model** , keeping proven elements while halting National's wider structural reforms.
**Green Party**| Advocates for robustly funded learning support via progressive revenue models.| **Funds universal $380/week training payments** for student speech-language therapists and teachers to secure a long-term workforce.| **Proposes a single central agency** to fully coordinate and resource all health and disability needs in schools.
**Te Pāti Māori**| Prioritizes dedicated resourcing for support teachers in equitable learning environments.| Emphasizes ongoing professional development grounded in mātauranga Māori.| **Proposes a Māori-led taskforce** to transform how disabled, neurodivergent, and high-needs students are taught.
**The Opportunities Party (TOP)**| Mandates that investments in specialist support must be systematically delivered to every school.| Assures access to speech-language therapists, psychologists, and mental health services across all campuses.| **Advocates for a 10-year, cross-party education plan** to eliminate political volatility in curriculum and staffing.

* * *

In-Depth Party Proposals

National Party

The National Party's platform relies heavily on expanding existing government initiatives and leveraging private sector capacity to lower systemic barriers:

 * **Uncapped ORS Funding:** Rather than a fixed pool, National has **uncapped the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS)**. This means that when a student meets the criteria for high-needs support, the money is legally obligated to follow them rather than waiting for an annual budget increase.

 * **Private Sector Contracting:** To combat lengthy queues for speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and educational psychology, National is **contracting up to 1,000 private-sector specialist places** at any one time to process backlogs faster.

 * **Teacher Aide Scale-up:** The party has committed to building up to **more than two million additional teacher aide hours** every year from 2028 onwards.

 * **Coordinators:** Rollout plans aim to ensure **Learning Support Coordinators** are embedded in 80% of schools next year, reaching **100% coverage by 2028**.

Labour Party

The Labour Party centers its education platform around immediate targeted relief for classroom personnel and reversing or pausing National's strict assessment policies: rnz.co.nz

 * **1,000 Extra Teacher Aides:** The marquee proposal is an **$80 million injection over four years to explicitly hire 1,000 new teacher aides**. This is designed to give neurodivergent or high-needs children more dedicated one-on-one attention while alleviating stress on classroom teachers.

 * **Curriculum Stability:** Labour proposes to **freeze current curriculum and NCEA overhauls**. Their argument is that rapid ideological adjustments exhaust teachers, taking away time and energy better spent on individualized learning support. labour.org.nzRelease: Labour to give parents confidence in their children’s education

Green Party

The Green Party approaches the issue through systemic overhaul and systemic workforce investments funded by a wealth tax: [Party policies, simplified: Education | The D*List](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m2mP0G7uWw&t=65)

 * **Single Support Agency:** The Greens propose **establishing a single, dedicated central agency** to coordinate and resource specialist support for learners with health and disability needs, removing the administrative burden from individual school boards.

 * **Expanding Access Criteria:** They advocate for loosening current tight strictures around who qualifies for learning support, effectively **widening the criteria** so that moderately high-needs children do not miss out.

 * **Workforce Pipeline:** To address the severe shortage of specialists, the Greens' policy offers **a universal $380 a week payment for student speech-language therapists and trainee teachers** during their unpaid practical placements. The goal is to dramatically increase retention and graduation rates in these critical professions.

Te Pāti Māori

Te Pāti Māori seeks a structural redesign of how disability and neurodiversity interact with the state education apparatus:

 * **Māori-Led Taskforce:** The party intends to create a specialized taskforce focused on transforming the infrastructure around learning differences.

 * **Inclusive Professional Development:** They plan to mandate ongoing, culturally grounded professional development for support teachers and aides, focusing on removing systemic exclusion practices within state schools.

* * *

If you want to look deeper into specific financial support or balance your work hours, let me know:

 * Would you like information on **Work and Income (WINZ) allowances** (such as the Child Disability Allowance) for parents who reduce work hours to care for a child?

 * Do you want to know about party policies regarding **financial support for carers** or general parental leave?

I can tailor the exact financial or policy details to your household's needs.