The Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has met with Ronni Druitt from not-for-profit Goulburn Regional Preschool Association (GRPSA) to discuss childcare and kinder availability across the region and the need to reform licensing arrangements to better reflect regional circumstances.
Ms Cleeland said organisations like GRPSA are on the frontline, dealing with the availability issues plaguing the region.
“We have extreme cost of living pressures, as well as a labour crisis – more accessible childcare is important to ensure parents can return to work and alleviate these issues,” Ms Cleeland said.
“So much of our region has been designated a childcare desert, something I know so many young families are aware of every day.
“Ronni and her team at GRPSA run 17 preschool centres right across the Goulburn Valley with many facilities having extensive waitlists and not enough licensed places.
“We’ve got huge shortages in Avenel, Nagambie and Seymour. While Seymour is receiving a new childcare centre, these issues won’t be resolved overnight.
“Some towns simply don’t have any kinder which has a massive impact on the town’s future with families choosing to relocate most of their lives to bigger centres like Shepparton.”
With significant overlap between different levels of government in the preschool sector Ms Cleeland said reform is necessary to simplify the industry.
“Childcare and kinder regulations are incredibly complex. For a regional centre there are licencing, management and land arrangements that often involve all three levels of government,” Ms Cleeland sad.
“In metro areas childcare centres are usually separated from kindergartens whereas this isn’t the case in regional areas.
“This has real implications for availability of care with organisations like GRPSA having to make difficult decisions.
“An extra kinder place can mean losing a childcare place and with pressure on both waitlists in places like Nagambie it’s just not sustainable for the community with kids and families continually missing out.
“The status quo is not working. I’ve experienced this firsthand and we need to have a serious conversation on reform and simplification to make this process work for our local economy and most importantly our families.”
