Politics & Council
3 December, 2023
Productivity commission back rural child care change
GRANTS could cover capital and operating costs in communities where child care demand is too low to support all of the costs of a service, the Productivity Commission recommended last week. The commission’s draft report on a path to universal...
GRANTS could cover capital and operating costs in communities where child care demand is too low to support all of the costs of a service, the Productivity Commission recommended last week.
The commission’s draft report on a path to universal early childhood education and care also recommends the Australian Government provide additional support in markets where early childhood education and care providers are unlikely to invest.
Recommendations to lift access to child care in rural areas match the stance taken by Loddon Shire for increased government assistance for business to open centres in rural towns.
Release of the draft report comes as Loddon communities wait for confirmation on the site of a co-located child care centre to be built by the State Government after a promised during last year’s election campaign.
Wedderburn College and parents have been campaigning for more than two years for child care in the Loddon Shire.
Victoria’s only care desert, they say the lack of access to child care is hindering staff recruitment and economic growth in the shire. Plans for a privately-owned child care centre in Boort were abandonded earlier this year.
Loddon Campaspe Group of Councils, including Loddon, told the commission: “Cost effective intervention would create sustainable rural child care but all levels of government need to be committed to overcoming current barriers.
“There are also naturally considerable societal benefits to improved access to child care, including improved resilience, educational and social development of rural children, improved gender equity and workforce participation in rural areas, and improved confidence in long-term service provision,” the submission said.
Shire wellbeing director Wendy Gladman said the group of councils intended to make a submission on the Productivity Commission’s draft report.
A report by Regional Development Victoria earlier this year proposed that governments provide medium-term assurance of rural service availability and reliability.