Page 220 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2010
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Play is widely recognised as a vital tool in engaging young minds. The research paper states:
Recent research has shown that interactions between children and staff that are based on sustained, shared thinking within play-based programs maximise children’s learning outcomes.
So childcare centres are an invaluable tool in assisting in the development and wellbeing of our children in the formative early childhood years. Therefore it is important that childcare centres are secure in their accommodation and can offer the same security to their staff and to the families they serve. Ensuring that play schools, playgroups, childcare centres and preschools all have certainty and stability in their long-term accommodation is important to allow communities to develop in and around these services.
Parents are always attempting to juggle the balance between work, life and family and what is in the best interest of their children. This is particularly important when we talk about the place where their child is being taken care of in their absence. We know that parents want a caring, supportive and stable environment integrated with high-quality appropriate education programs. It is difficult to make commitments for the future when the long-term viability of the accommodation of the childcare centre, play school or preschool may be under threat.
Gumnut Place Child Care Centre is one example where uncertainty about the future of the accommodation has raised concerns for staff, parents, children and the community at large. It is important that we plan not only for the future of Gumnut Place but beyond this, to ensure securing consistent tenancies for all childcare and early childhood education providers. In recent weeks, I wrote to Minister Burch on the issue of future accommodation for Gumnut Place, and I look forward to her response.
Upon election to the Assembly, we had several organisations approach the ACT Greens for assistance to resolve similar issues. Given these approaches, item 9.2 in the ALP-Greens parliamentary agreement is about “providing space for all playschools and playgroups in ACT government facilities by February 2009”. This was achieved.
While it may appear at first that there is not a huge problem for the ACT community, it is important to understand that to the affected families and children it is an incredibly important issue that needs to be addressed. The ACT Greens are pleased to report that in the case of the Inner North Playschool, amongst others, new community facilities were found to house these important services.
It is also very important that we provide suitable accommodation that provides certainty to everyone. In the case of the French-Australian Preschool, I made representations to the former minister for children and young people and I am pleased to see that a solution has been found for this preschool.
I agree with Mrs Dunne that childcare is vitally important for our community. I agree with Mrs Dunne that ROGS does raise an interesting issue about the costs of childcare
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