Coag Option May Lead To Struggling Families Being Priced Out Of Childcare

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8th December 2009, 12:35am - Views: 1033






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Media Enquiries:


ACT & QLD – Gwynn Bridge - 0418 764 779

VIC – Lucian Roncon - 0419 004 800

NSW – Lyn Connolly - 0425 225 275

SA – Barbara Langford - 0417 874 391

WA – Roslyn Thompson - 0407 652 177


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Childcare Alliance Australia

PO Box 137 Springwood Qld 4127                           Email: president@australianchildcarealliance.org.au


MEDIA RELEASE


COAG Option May Lead to Struggling Families Being

Priced out of Childcare


7 December 2009


Today’s decision by COAG to propose

reforms without addressing the true cost to parents

or the loss of places

will leave

Australian families frustrated, ignored and angry warns Childcare Alliance Australia. 


Childcare Alliance Australia (CAA) - which represents 70% of all long child care centres in Australia and whose staff care for

more than 330,000 young children - appealed again to the Federal and State governments to ensure struggling families are not

priced out of quality early learning programs altogether.


“We are not opposed to the principles behind COAG’s recognition of the importance of quality private and community child

care,” CAA national spokesperson, Ms Gwynn Bridge, said today, but we must put the needs of our children and their families

first. What good are these reforms if the costs to parents are so high that the children have to be withdrawn from quality formal

care and kept at home or left in an unreliable and potentially unsafe backyard care arrangement?”


CAA conducted a survey among 1000 parents whose child/children attends formal community or private long day care centres.

Nearly eight in ten parents said they could not afford to keep their child in formal childcare if the anticipated increase of

between $13 and $22 a day is realised as a result of these proposed reforms. In NSW, that figure rose to 9 in 10 who said no to

the fee hikes. Families will not be able to meet the magnitude of this fee increase.


“If the Prime Minister or any of the Premiers read any of the comments from our parents; they would do everything they could

to ensure that no family would be financially or socially hurt by these reforms,” Ms Bridge said. 


Ms Bridge said many working mothers surveyed said they will be forced to quit their jobs and stay at home with their child or

look for cheaper, unregulated care options. Other survey respondents claimed their family would have to cut back on

household essentials. Single mothers believe it may force them back onto the single parent pension. Some families surveyed

even said they would sell their house before giving up childcare. 


“This is a vitally important issue for families and our economy generally and the onus is on government to ensure affordability

and accessibility to quality childcare remains the right of every child regardless of where they live or what their parents earn.”


Ms Bridge said the Childcare Alliance Australia would continue to represent the needs of their families to the Federal and State

Governments ahead of any legislation being developed and implemented.

ENDS



not hesitate to contact Ms Bridge on 0418 764 779 or the other State representatives on the contact details below:







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