Government cuts to curtail family daycare

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
 
Sir – Families in Alice Springs could feel the impact of funding cuts to family day care, as the far-reaching consequences are realised around the country.
 
Early indications suggest Alice Springs Family Day Care will lose almost 40 per cent of their Operational Support funding due to changes made to the Community Support Programme (CSP) Guidelines.
 
Although they appear to meet the new tightened eligibility criteria, the not-for-profit service will now have their funding amount capped at a much lower amount.
 
The loss of funding could have a devastating effect on the service and the parents of more than 150 children. We believe quality is paramount and will do everything in our power to continue to deliver the best early childhood education and care but this drastic funding cut will hit us hard.
 
But with less Operational Support funding we will be forced to reduce our support services and may have to increase educator and parent levies.
 
This will mean cutting back staff hours, cancelling our regular playgroup and even selling the bus we use to transport educators and children to the kindy gym.
 
Family Day Care Australia’s projected estimates reveal that at least 72% of family day care services across Australia that rely on CSP funding will either have their funding completely cut or reduced when the changes come into effect in July 2015.
 
Erica Johansson
Alice Springs Family Day Care