Page 2010 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 August 2014
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Respect from the community and promoting and fostering a play-based safe and happy environment for young children through engagement of intentional teaching techniques.
When workers, parents, directors and researchers are on the same side of the debate government should listen and respond. This is by no means a niche issue.
There are currently around 9,600 places available for children of preschool age and under in centre-based services in the ACT. There are also around 3,300 places offered in government preschools. Over the past few years, the ACT government has embarked on a program of facility upgrades to support services to meet new quality standards and to increase available spaces. The infrastructure program includes extensions, refurbishments and upgrades to facilities owned by the Education and Training Directorate, including long day care centres and public preschools. The government has also invested significantly in new facilities, most recently with the construction of the Franklin Early Childhood School, which includes a long day care centre as well as a public preschool, and the Holder early childhood centre.
The ACT government is continuing to identify suitable sites for education and care centres as part of the planning for new suburbs to respond to emerging demand in newly established areas as well as changing demand in established areas. It is great to see as I drive past Kippax on a very regular basis that work has begun on an early childhood centre in Holt, which will be gratefully received by parents who live in west Belconnen.
As a result of these initiatives, the ACT early childhood sector has seen a steady growth with additional places created in suburbs including Campbell, McKellar, Greenway, Narrabundah, Taylor and Macarthur through the establishment of new services and expansion of existing services. We are also assisting the sector with the cost of leasing premises, which means that the majority of long day care services operating from ACT government-owned facilities pay a discounted rent.
We know quality early childhood education and care is so important for our children, even from birth. We know it starts them off on their educational journey on a positive note. It helps them to develop a strong sense of identity and become confident and successful learners. There is so much more to do in this area, and I know the sector is waiting for certainty from the federal government. In the meantime, the ACT government will continue its strong commitment to early childhood education and care because it benefits children, their families and our broader Canberra community.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (4.11): This matter is very important to our community, and I thank Ms Berry for bringing this issue here today. The quality, the cost and the availability of child care affects many families in our community, and quality is very important to every family. There is a great importance in investing in quality child care and early education in the ACT. I would like to add to the discussion today, as Ms Berry has already alluded to, that, along with quality, the cost and availability of child care is a serious matter for Canberra families. Although I personally do not need child care any longer for my children, I see firsthand the struggles that come with raising a family in Canberra at present, not least through my own grandchildren and also through other residents.
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