Childcare - a national crisis!
Is childcare a national priority? Considering the numbers of our grandchildren involved it should be !

The following statistics are drawn from the discussion paper - Towards the development of a national agenda for early childhood, released by the federal government in February.

ABS figures at 1999 show:
66% of children 0 - 4 years used some form of childcare.
51% of children under 12 used some form of childcare.

43% of childcare 0 - 4 used some form of informal childcare.
37% of all children under 12 used informal care.

40% of children 0 - 4 years of age used formal childcare.
23% of all children under 12 years of age used formal care.

These statistics only paint part of the picture - they do not tell us the numbers of children waiting to access childcare.

Despite the large numbers in childcare and those on waiting lists childcare is not awarded a nationally significant status. For example:
Do you know that in Victoria in the year 2000 the average wage of a childcare worker was $25000 and that experienced childcare workers with a three year university degree can earn as little as $12-14 dollars per hour.
Is it any wonder that fewer people are interested in working in childcare with less qualified staff now entering the industry
Between 1996 and 2000 millions of dollars have been cut from the federal government childcare budget and that in the same period there has been multiple childcare centre closures and fee increases in those centres that remain. Consider the following chart that indicates national funding allocations per Commonwealth Childcare Places, 1991-2001 (source, FaCS)

The need to make a profit and remain
viable at the same time as these budget
cuts are being implemented and regulations
are increasing is forcing centres to cut
corners - becoming unresponsive to the
needs of families and the staff employed in
them.

Given that you can now list a childcare
centre on the stock market allowing
people to buy shares in it these pressures
may increase.

The Grandparent’s perspective

Putting this information together with our personal experience has lead to grandparents nominating childcare as an issue worth our urgent and most strenuous action. We are sensitive to the pressures our families with much of it coming to bear on grandparents who are increasingly minding grandchildren because they cannot get into formal childcare. Also consider the plight grandparents raising their grandchildren who are desperate for access to affordable childcare. Given the special circumstances surrounding them (see article later this edition) access to childcare makes the difference between coping with rearing their grandchildren and perhaps having to hand them over to the State when they can’t cope.

Grandparents Victoria believes that there must be:

§ Recognition of the role, rights and special needs of grandparents, particularly those who are raising their grandchildren

§ A co-ordinated state and federal policy for the provision of childcare and after school care

§ Targeting of child care support to low income families, children with special needs and families in remote locations

§ Flexibility in childcare provision that meets the long term and urgent needs of families such as shift working and child illness.

§ Guarantees that all paid child carers are suited to working with children, well paid and receive ongoing on the job training

§ Regular review of delivery to ensure that childcare policy and delivery are always appropriate to the needs of families