Rising Child-Care Costs May Force Hunter Parents To Use Backyard Carers

The Hearald

INCREASED child-care fees will force more Hunter parents to rely on unregulated "backyard care", according to a peak body representing private child-care operators.

The Federal and State governments agreed late last year to implement sweeping reforms of the child-care sector aimed at giving kids more attention from better-qualified workers from 2012.

But there are fears that the changes could push the cost of child care up by more than $20 a child per day at some Hunter centres, forcing parents to pull children out of care and rely on friends, neighbours and relatives.

Childcare Alliance NSW head Lyn Connolly said the changes, which include increasing the number of carers per children, would push prices up and reduce the number of places available.

Ms Connolly said the children who needed it the most would be the ones who missed out.

"They will not be able to access programs and there is a host of research showing that centre-based care is a great benefit for children's development before they hit school," she said.

Mrs Connolly said there were fears many centres would cut the number of baby places on offer because of the additional cost involved in increasing staff ratios from 1:5 to 1:4.

She said many parents were already struggling to pay for child care and any increase would force some to rely on unqualified "backyard carers".

The Government has estimated that the proposed changes would increase costs by $4 a day, but Ms Connolly said it could be as high as $22.

Former child-care worker Amanda Priestley, of Adamstown, said she supported government initiatives aimed at increasing quality of care, but was concerned about additional costs.

Mrs Priestley, who works full-time, has two children and is pregnant with a third, said it was possible centres would look to cut costs in other areas in an effort not to increase fees.
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