ABC woes expected to boost community-run child care
Posted
Regional Victorian community-run childcare centres are expected to become more viable after the collapse of ABC Learning.
The company is in the hands of receivers and a number of its centres in regional Victoria, including in Gippsland, could close.
Barbara Romeril from the Community Childcare Association says the industry needs tighter controls.
She says the ABC Learning had an aggressive policy of establishing centres where they were not needed.
"We know that ABC kept centres open that only had a handful of children in them because they were determined to put their competitors out of business, that's not good public policy and it's not looking after the needs of families and children," she said.
The federal Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester, is calling on the Federal Government to help regional child care providers in the wake of the ABC collapse.
Mr Chester says the Government must consider subsidising centres to ensure enough child care places are available.
ABC's receivers are reviewing the viability of three centres at Sale, one at Lakes Entrance, one in Maffra and another at Morwell.
Mr Chester says the Government must step in to support Gippsland families and ABC staff.
"So I've spoken in Federal Parliament this morning and urged the Minister to remember the small country towns that are caught up in this issue and remember that if there are no other service providers, it's going to have to step into the breach and assist the existing service providers or not-for-profit sector to make sure we continue to offer this essential service going forward," he said.
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