PARENTS with young children could pay $20 a week more for childcare if national reforms are adopted, a council report shows.
Hobsons Bay Council has called on the Commonwealth and State Governments to increase funding for childcare and kindergarten subsidies so mums and dads aren’t left out of pocket.
Changes proposed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) would require municipalities to lower child-to-staff ratios and hire teachers with more qualifications, providing a national standard of high quality care.
The financial impact would be higher running costs for councils, most likely passed on to parents.
Hobsons Bay Council operates childcare centres in Altona North and Altona Meadows.
But, according to a council report tabled last week, private and long-term day centres would also be affected.
“Every children’s service will be faced with implementing these changes,” the report said.
“This could see reduced numbers of childcare places and increased costs across Hobsons Bay.”
The council-owned centres are already at capacity and have a waiting list of more than 200 children, mostly under three. It costs $310 a week to put a child in care at a council centre.
This is set to jump to $330 a week in 2010/11.
The first of the reforms, if adopted, would start January 1, 2012.
Hobsons Bay Council will also write to the Municipal Association of Victoria asking it to lobby for additional funding to pay for the changes.
Are you paying too much for child care? Tell us your solution at hobsonsbay@leadernews papers.com.au
Source: whereilive
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