Child-care meeting warns of changes

Child-care meeting warns of changes

By Sean Moysey

WOLLONGONG — On June 16, 80 people met at Wollongong Town Hall to discuss proposed changes to child-care assistance.

David Guy, manager of the Illawarra Child Care Services Action Group, explained that the federal Labor government's proposed changes to Child Care Assistance (CCA) would result in parents or guardians paying more.

Under the old system, a parent or parents, assisted at a 50% rate, with a child in child-care at a total cost of $100 per week, would receive $50 assistance and pay $50 themselves. Under the new system the same parent/s would pay $70.

Currently, there are 60 child-care centres in the Wollongong area and 20 in the Shellharbour area; each has an average of 40 places.

Minutes before the meeting, Guy received a fax from Senator Rosemary Crowley saying that the July 1 introduction date of changes to child-care would be set back to October.

From GLW issue 148