BLUE MOUNTAINS CHILD CARE CRISIS
FEDERAL LABOR PLAN TO HELP FAMILIES STUCK ON WAITING LISTS, PAYING UP TO $203 A WEEK FOR CHILD CARE OUT OF POCKET

September 3, 2007

A survey of child-care services in the Blue Mountains has revealed a massive crisis in child-care places, with more than 200 children under two years on waiting lists.

It has also been revealed today that Blue Mountains families are paying up to $195 a week out of their own pockets for full-time child care for each child.

Analysis of the Blue Mountains child care survey, the 2006 Census and the Howard Government’s child-care data has exposed:

1 More than 200 children under two years on long day-care waiting lists. At least 100 children aged between two and five are waiting for places and many families are waiting up to 12 months
2 11 of the 12 long day-care centres in the Mountains have raised their fees this year, some by up to 10 per cent. The average cost is $56 a day, or $280 a week for full-time care
3 Blue Mountains families (electorate of Macquarie) on a median income would receive about $77 a week in federal child-care subsidies for full-time care
4 Blue Mountains parents pay up to $203 a week out of their own pocket (median income families)

Federal Labor is pledging to build 260 new child-care centres in areas of real need and on primary school and community grounds.

Bob Debus, Labor Candidate for Macquarie, said the shortage was particularly acute at long day-care centres in the mid to lower mountains.

Mr Debus was hosting a visit to the Macquarie electorate by Jenny Macklin, Labor’s Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services.

Ms Macklin said the figures reflected the strain being felt by working families across the Blue Mountains, who were struggling under the pressure of rising child care costs, mortgage repayments, grocery bills and petrol prices.

“Child care must be affordable and available for families in the Blue Mountains,” said Ms Macklin.

“It’s not fair that women have to weigh-up whether it’s worth their while going back to work because of the high cost of child care.”

Mr Debus added: “The Prime Minister said recently, ‘working families in Australia have never been better off’.

“But Blue Mountains families are left wondering how Mr Howard can say that when they are still struggling.

“I think this shows that, after 11 years in power, Mr. Howard has become out of touch with local families.”

Mr Debus said there were 8533 children aged 0-4 in the electorate of Macquarie, higher than the national average, according to the latest Census figures.

“Even though some families may be on more than one waiting list, these figures expose the lack of Commonwealth Government support for child-care services,” he said.

“This survey underscores the growing crisis for families wanting long day-care. As a nation, we must do more to support working families.”

Federal Labor will:

1 Build up to 260 new child-care centres, particularly in areas of real need and on primary school grounds where possible
2 Invest $450 million to give every Australian four-year-old the right to 15 hours of high-quality pre-school every week, delivered by a qualified teacher
3 Publish local child-care fees and vacancy data
4 Publish breaches of child-care quality standards, and parental reviews of child care