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Bring resources to care, not control

30/Jun/2009

By Greg Thomson, Community Newspaper Group editor-in-chief

Comments:

OUR recent Listening Post survey touched a nerve with some operators over a report we published on perceptions about standards of child care.

Reader attitudes tossed up some interesting insights over the cost of child care, the operation of community-based centres, and availability.

A stand out fact from the survey was a finding that two in three parents believe child care is so expensive that working was no longer worth it.

When you consider the cost of raising multiple children in care, it is clear that the cost needs to be weighed against the potential earnings of the parent who elects to stay at home to look after the children.

A second, much more controversial finding was a view among 30 per cent of parents that child care should be run by the Government, with a further 15 per cent of parents strongly agreeing with such a view.

That’s nearly half of all readers saying government should have a bigger role to play in child care.

Our reporting of this finding drew howls of protest, with some suggesting this was a case of parents criticising the standards or quality of care on offer.

But my reading of this finding, and my own child care experience as a parent, offers up a different interpretation.

When parents say child care should be run by government, what they really mean is that they want more government resources for the sector.

No one is suggesting that governments seize control of child care in the community – rather they want the public purse to directly fund services for child care, such as centralised payroll, human resources and recruitment.

Nearly all centres are run by skilled and passionate operators who may not necessarily need – but could do with all the same – management assistance.

Catering assistance, building and facility management, and health and safety enforcement are other areas where bureaucrats could help provide much greater support to hard-pressed community child care centres.

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