Support for Occasional Care Goes National

A nationwide petition calling on the Federal Government to restore occasional childcare funding across the country was launched in Warrnambool late last month.

The petition was initiated by Federal Shadow Childcare Minister, Sussan Ley, who launched the petition with local MP Dan Tehan. The petition appeals to the House of Representatives and Federal Childcare Minister Kate Ellis to restore a modest $12m in national funding to support community-based occasional child care across Australia.

MPs Dan Tehan and Sussan Ley launched the petition at the Uniting Church Occasional Care Centre in Warrnambool. Centre Director Liz Sparrow is concerned that if the funding is not reinstated, she will have to raise fees and some occasional care centres may have to close.

Dan Tehan MP for Wannan (left), Sussan Ley Shadow Minister for childcare (centre), Liz Sparrow Centre Director (right) taking morning tea with occasional childcare children at launch of national childcare petition.

 The petition is available at local occasional care centres around the nation, including Neighbourhood Houses and Learning Centres in Victoria, or through state and federal Coalition electorate offices. Signatures of support will be taken until mid-October, 2011.

Members of the South West Network of Neighbourhood Houses attended the launch, and Networker and Hamilton Community House Coordinator Debra King later met with Sussan Ley and Dan Tehan during their stopover at Hamilton North Kindergarten.

'For Neighbourhood Houses and local communities this is not a party political issue or a state versus federal issue,' ANHLC Executive Officer Angela Savage added. 'We just want to see vital community-based occasional child care services sustained.'

Follow this link to see Sussan Ley’s press release:

http://sussanley.com/Media/Portfolio/PortfolioMediaReleases/tabid/66/art...