Page 2152 - Week 10 - Thursday, 26 October 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
It is against this broad policy background that my department provides services in the children's day care services area. In the Australian Capital Territory we are extremely fortunate to have 863 long day care places, 427 occasional care places and 878 out of school hours care places funded by governments. In addition, 786 long day care places are provided by the commercial sector and 360 by unfunded community based organisations, and there are 1,482 out of school care places which are unfunded.
Our system of occasional care is one of the best in Australia. I am happy to report that an additional 30 funded places will open at the new Dickson Neighbourhood Centre in 1990. Added to this, 25 unfunded places will open at the section 38 development towards the end of this year. The Government will continue to expand the number of appropriate child-care places as the need is demonstrated.
The next long day care centre to be provided by the joint Commonwealth-State cooperative agreement will be a 40-place centre adjacent to the provisional Parliament House. This centre will provide important work related places for those children whose parents work in Civic, Fyshwick and the Parliamentary Triangle. The Liberal Party is not terribly supportive of that proposal, and I give an undertaking to the Assembly that this Government will work hard to ensure that, no matter what happens in the Federal sphere, we will work hard to ensure that those places are provided to the people of Canberra.
In keeping with our policy to plan for adequate child-care provision, the Government will undertake a planning exercise to determine the child-care needs of the ACT into the next century.
One of the most important functions of the children's day care services section is to provide advice and help to parents seeking child-care. As part of Children's Week, my department will be involved in a number of activities. These include a display at the Tuggeranong Hyperdome where officers will be on hand to assist in disseminating child-care information; the launch of a nutrition book entitled Fast Healthy Food for Kids - I think that is an important initiative as too often we hear complaints about the sorts of inadequate fast foods that are available for our youngsters - a community nursing seminar on cystic fibrosis and a session on meditation for children; and, recognising the important work being undertaken by child-care workers, a function has been arranged for them during Children's Week.
I had the pleasure yesterday to visit that function and enjoy the company of those child-care workers at the function which was arranged for them. Indeed, it was a pleasure because of the enthusiasm that was demonstrated by those workers for the work that they do. I know how difficult that work must be from time to time, but I must say that I was very impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of those workers.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .