December 24, 2008
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has called for regional childcare subsidies to better support childcare centres in regional communities like Gippsland.
Mr Chester said the collapse of the ABC Learning Group had highlighted the need for a new approach to childcare. The ABC collapse has left a question mark over several childcare centres throughout Gippsland.
“Childcare should be considered an essential service in our modern society and the government clearly accepts it does have a role to play because it has already stepped in to financially assist communities where the ABC group has failed,” Mr Chester said.
“When it comes to attracting skilled workers to regional areas there is an expectation that quality childcare services will be available for parents.”
Mr Chester called on the Government to urgently begin discussions with local child care providers to make sure that childcare remained available in those communities.
“But they are going to need support in the transitional phase and government subsidies to assist them to meet the financial shortfall,” Mr Chester said.
“The way childcare is delivered needs to be overhauled, particularly in regional areas. I expect that there will be a continuing mix of commercial and not-for-profit providers but the bottom line is the quality of the care provided to children and the accessibility for families.
“The ABC collapse has highlighted that relying on private and commercial providers is not necessarily going to provide the security of ongoing care services for local families.”
Mr Chester called on the government to consider rural, regional or remote subsidies in the future to assist smaller childcare services to remain viable.
He has written to the Deputy Prime Minister seeking her support to review childcare delivery.
“I have asked the Minister to review the viability of regional or remote subsidies to assist with ongoing operating costs for childcare in small or regional communities,” Mr Chester said.
“I’ve also asked the Government for funding of innovative childcare solutions that might assist communities such as Yarram to get a childcare service off the ground.”