Page 310 - Week 01 - Thursday, 17 February 2011
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In December last year the government released a brochure, Choosing childcare in the ACT, which was put together in collaboration with the childcare sector. Again, I go to Mrs Dunne and ask what collaboration with the sector supports her single waiting list. Choosing childcare in the ACT contains information to help parents choose the right centre for their child and has been distributed broadly. Combined with parentlink information and the MyChild website, this government is making sure that parents have better access to childcare than ever before.
Childcare centres should not be places where you just drop the children for the day. They should be places of learning. They should be places for our children to be safe and well looked after no matter where they are. We are introducing new standards for childcare services to make sure that this occurs in every centre in every suburb in every city in this country. There are already services operating at the standard of these new regulations, and their fees are not much different from those of other services.
I would just point out that recently I visited a centre that 100 per cent complies with the new standards. This is a community-based service managed by parents. The parents set the fees; the staff there are paid above-award wages and the parents choose to go there. This centre is an exemplar of quality childcare that we have here in the ACT—something that those opposite fail to recognise. There are already services operating, as I have said. All of our services currently meet the over-two ratio for childcare centres.
Changes in staff requirements will be introduced over a number of years to give services time to adjust. Therefore, there should be no sudden increase in the cost to families. They continue to use figures; I do not know where they collect them from, but certainly the work that has been done with the impact statement on the reforms indicate that our fee increases—
Mr Doszpot interjecting—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, if you must speak to yourself, please do it telepathically.
MS BURCH: will be less than $3 a week in the beginning and up to under $12 a week in 2014. Earlier this week I sent letters to all childcare providers in the ACT and family-based centres, union representatives and government officials inviting them to join me at a children’s services roundtable to continue the ongoing discussions and talk about how we can support centres to make the transition as smooth as possible. This is just one part of the extensive process that the government is undertaking on the national quality framework for early education and care—consultation that demonstrates that this government is committed to quality, affordable, accessible childcare in the ACT.
Those opposite are doing the local childcare sector a disservice with their continuing fear and concern campaign. They are not offering any ideas or more policies, other than that one-liner. Mrs Dunne, will you bring your costings and your details about how that works, how families can be assured—
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