Page 150 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 28 November 2012
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(d) that more recently the Government invested in building new childcare centres in areas of demand, including new centres in Holder, Franklin and Flynn, with a land release schedule for new centres in McKellar, Giralang, Holt, Conder, Gungahlin and Macathur;
(e) the increase of 500 childcare places in 2011-12;
(f) the commitment of a further $4.5 million to deliver more affordable quality childcare across Canberra to create up to 100 new childcare places, establish three more childcare centres and offer scholarships to build the skills of our early childhood education and childcare workers;
(g) the rally of 17 November by many hundreds of ACT based early childhood educators calling for better wages and conditions; and
(h) the commitment the ACT Government has made to improve the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to:
(a) reaffirm its commitment to ensure ACT families continue to have access to high quality and affordable childcare;
(b) continue to implement the provisions of the National Quality Framework for childcare; and
(c) continue to support early childhood educators to increase the awareness and appreciation of their training and professionalism including recognising the importance of the BIG STEPS campaign.
This motion is about what the ACT Labor government are doing to increase the availability of early childhood education and childcare places, what we are doing to support families to access places, what we are doing to ensure the quality of education and care, and what we are doing to ensure that workers in the sector are properly valued and paid.
The ACT Labor government recognise just how important it is to the families of the ACT that they can access quality education and care services for their children. We know early childhood education plays a vitally important role in the development of our children. The research is there that supports that, but we as parents who have had our children in early childhood education and child care know by watching our children grow what a positive role educators have played in our children’s lives.
For most parents, it is the first place to which they entrust the care of their children outside of the family circle. For many children, it is also the first place where they begin learning about the world around them, how to make friends, reading and writing and how to be creative.
We also know, however, about the challenges governments face in being able to provide all families with the opportunity to have their children in early childhood
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