Centre childcare cuts could be on cards

By Alison Noonan
A LACK of government funding could force Casey’s community centres to cut occasional childcare services.
Centre coordinators claim increased wages for workers and a shortage of State Government subsidies are making it increasingly difficult for centres to continue to offer the muchneeded programs to families at affordable prices.
Blind Bight Community Centre coordinator Sonja Bertram said the centre offered its twice weekly childcare services at a loss and was forced to dig into its own pocket for extra funds.
“We are definitely struggling to make ends meet.
“Many centres are in the red and many will be forced to discontinue their programs or increase the costs.
“Much of the funding comes out of our own pocket but the centre doesn’t make a lot of money,” she said.
Ms Bertram said the threehour childcare sessions provided parents in the coastal villages with a vital break and an opportunity to mingle with other mums and dads.
“If we don’t offer it, where else are they going to go?
“There are no other occasional childcare facilities in the area. They would have to travel to Cranbourne for the closest centre.
“Parents think this service is fantastic and they really appreciate the time to themselves.
“But we are operating at a loss and we really need an increase in funding to continue,” she said.
Cranbourne Community House coordinator Margaret O’Callaghan said the centre had not received an increase in childcare funding for 15 years, claiming that it also operated at a loss.
“There has been no money in that bucket for years.
“The money just isn’t there. It isn’t a priority for them,” she said.
She said community demand for the program was so great that more children attended the centre than the government subsidy allowed.
“We have approximately 90 families that access the program, which is more than 100 kids.
“We suffer a loss because we want to continue to offer it at an affordable price.
“The program is about respite so we want to keep the costs as low as possible but the subsidy is minimal,” she said.
Ms O’Callaghan said the childcare award was expected to increase a further four times, forcing the centre to pay even higher wages.
“We are certainly struggling as the increases go on.
“The only alternative is to put the fees up but that would defeat the purpose of the program.
“We just have to try to continue as we are at the moment,” she said.
The News contacted the Department of Human Services who did not respond before deadline.