Childcare budget initiatives welcomed, more needs to be done
'Early Childhood Australia welcomes the Government's budget childcare initiatives as far as they go, but their real value will be determined by how they are implemented on the ground', said Margaret Young, National President of Early Childhood Australia, today in Sydney.
'Payment of the Child Care Tax Rebate closer to when childcare fees are paid will be better for families, as is making the payment to families via the Family Assistance Office rather than the Australian Taxation Office. Also welcome are the changes to the CCTR eligibility requirements, to give low income families access to this payment.
'The real increase of 10 per cent in the Child Care Benefit will bring relief to eligible families, even if only by giving temporary protection from further fee increases. In the past the pattern has been for childcare fees to rise when the Child Care Benefit has been increased.
'The additional funding for services in rural and remote areas is also a positive in this budget. This is particularly so in regard to the additional funding of $23.5m over four years for 20 Innovative Child Care Service Hubs in rural and remote communities with high Indigenous populations. Again, the real value of the initiative will be seen in its implementation, which must give Indigenous communities a significant role in determining the way the services evolve and are operated.
'Families will benefit from these initiatives. However it is disappointing that the Treasurer did not acknowledge the higher costs of providing good-quality care for babies and toddlers through a targeted increase in the Child Care Benefit for that age group. A move towards an increase in paid parental leave is also needed. ECA will look forward to some progress on these issues in the run up to the next election and also to increased funding to ensure the expansion and ongoing viability of existing Multifunctional Aboriginal Children's Services and Mobile Services.
'Early Childhood Australia, while welcoming the budget initiatives, would prefer that they were more comprehensive and marked the beginning of a clear, long-term national plan to provide properly for young children and address the sector's many problems.
Media enquiries:
Margaret Young, Early Childhood Australia National President.
T: 02 6242 1800
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