What changes will there be to childcare after the election?

The Coalition's chief promises regarding childcare over the election were:

• introduction of a 30 per cent rebate on out-of-pocket childcare costs. Cost: $1 billion over four years;
• increased access by grandparents to Child Care Benefit by relaxing eligibility rules and giving them higher benefits. Cost: $70 million.

Details about the rebate has so far remained sketchy, other than the Prime Minister's assurances that it will only apply to approved childcare services (thus making nannies ineligible.) It appears however, to be uncapped and non-means tested.

Community Child Care's is thrilled at the injection of such large amounts of money into childcare:

• The money effectively reduces tax rates for childcare users. Community Child Care urges the Prime Minister to ensure that the reduction benefits those on lower and middle incomes.
• We also urge the Prime Minister to make the payments available to families on a weekly basis. If it only kicks in at tax return time, it will do little to help those struggling with fees on a weekly basis.
• As well as funding to families, the pay issues of childcare workers also need to be addressed. This is an essential part of the solution to the shortage of qualified childcare workers.
• Mechanisms need to be introduced to ensure the expansion of baby places. Craig Freedman, Associate Professor of Economics at Macquarie University, who has researched the corporatisation of childcare, said during the election campaign that the rebate would inflate fees and that that would 'eventually increase the supply', through new entrants chasing higher returns. It is vitally important that a differential rate of CCB be introduced to ensure that services provide care for babies.
• Measures also need to be instituted to ensure that in the short term, fees do not increase if the rebate results in an increase in demand for places. Fees are likely to go up if an increase in demand is not matched with an increase in the supply of childcare places.
• We need to ensure that any growth in supply also increases the quality of childcare being provided.
• We need to look at the total cost of the rebate and whether it is the best way to increase the supply, affordability and quality of childcare. The 30 per cent rebate is uncapped, so it may in fact end up costing Australian taxpayers much more than the $1 billion that the Federal Government claimed during the election campaign.

Community Child Care will welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues with the new Minister.

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With the Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services, Jacinta Collins, still in danger of losing her Senate spot, and the previous Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Larry Anthony, finally surrendering his NSW North Coast seat of Richmond to the Labor Party, we have two new faces responsible for children's services.

Sussan Ley has been announced as the new Parliamentary Secretary (Children and Youth Affairs). It is interesting to note that her predecessor, Larry Anthony, was the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, whereas Ms Ley is a parliamentary secretary with responsibility for the portfolio area.

Tanya Plibersek has been announced as the Shadow Minister for Work, Family and Community; Youth and Early Childhood Education. She is also Assisting the Leader on the Status of Women.

Both women come from NSW. Ms Ley, 43, was elected to the House of Representatives for the electorate of Farrer, (centred on Albury and Deniliquin) in New South Wales in 2001. Prior to entering parliament she had a diverse background including being an air traffic controller, a commercial pilot, a wool and beef farmer and Director of the Australian Taxation Office.

Tanya Plibersek was elected to the House of Representatives for the electorate of Sydney in 1998. She is 35 and expecting her second child in February. Prior to entering parliament, she worked for the Domestic Violence Unit, NSW Ministry for the Status of Women and as an Electorate Officer. After her selection as shadow Minister, Ms Plibersek told Community Child Care that 'early childhood education sets the standard for love of learning that serves children so well. I want childcare to be more than child minding, and that means supporting parents, childcare centres and childcare workers in their struggle for proper recognition of their important roles'.

Regardless of the skills and experience of the new Minister and Opposition spokesperson, children's services will miss the experience and commitment of both Larry Anthony and Jacinta Collins to their portfolios.

Community Child Care would like to thank them for the passion and commitment they showed to children, their families and children's services over the last few years. If their successors show the same level of commitment to ensuring that the issues of children's services are heard at party level as these two have, children's services will definitely benefit.

Community Child Care is particularly sad to see the exit of Jacinta Collins. Her willingness to meet with us and talk at our forums was always appreciated.

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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) administers the Trade Practices Act 1974. Section 50 of the Act prohibits mergers and acquisitions that substantially lessen competition in a market, or are likely to do so.

The ACCC has conducted an inquiry to determine whether the proposed merger of ABC Learning Centres Limited with Peppercorn Management Group Limited and Child Care Centres Australia Limited is likely to breach section 50 of the Act.

Community Child Care Co-operative has made a submission to the inquiry, arguing that the merger would lessen competition in the childcare 'market'.

A copy of our submission is in the member's only area of our website at www.ccccnsw.org.au/membarea

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There is one, there really, really, really is a new book and sometime, services will get to see it... but that time isn't now.

Once again it has been delayed. Consequently, the training seminars on the model policies have been postponed. Refund cheques have been sent to everybody who enrolled in the seminars.

Services will be advised when the book is published and when the seminars will be rescheduled.

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Are you encouraging your staff to put in extra money into their superannuation in order to get the Government's co-contribution?

Specifically designed to support the superannuation savings of low-income earners (such as childcare workers!), the co-contribution scheme is like a gift from the Australian Government. In simple terms, for each dollar a worker puts in to their superannuation account (outside of the compulsory system), the Government contribute $1.50, to a maximum amount of $1,500.

Some childcare services have suggested that their workers (it tends to appeal more to older workers!) get a payroll deduction of $40 per fortnight into their superannuation fund. At the end of the financial year, if they have done this for the entire year, the Government will contribute $1,500 to the worker's fund, if they earn $28,000 or less per year. The $1,500 is reduced by five cents for each dollar of income over $28,000 the worker earns, cutting out at $58,000.

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Last month, the NSW LHMU - The Childcare Union Pay Equity case was filed in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.

Under the case, the Union is seeking large increases for more than 15,000 childcare workers throughout NSW. Announcing the lodgement, Jim Lloyd, NSW LHMU - The Childcare Union President, said: 'We believe the Commission will accept our arguments of the need to recognise the historical gender undervaluation of the important work done by our childcare membership. This is a long-awaited case - and we expect to have a result next year.'

Other aspects of the NSW LHMU - The Childcare Union case before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission include:

• increased sick leave;
• skills-based classification structure;
• increase in the Authorised Supervisor's Allowance;
• recognition of qualifications, skills and experience and the vital role childcare workers play.

In a related matter, Community Child Care is seeking copies of childcares workers' old job descriptions and their most recent one. We are interested in seeing evidence of the higher level of professionalism and responsibilities for childcare workers.

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Copies of the new 2004 Regulation can be purchased from the NSW Government Bookshop...

By phone and credit card ($11 plus $6.15 postage) by calling: Tel: (02) 9238 0950 or Tollfree: 1800 463 955 (NSW Country only)

At the bookshop ($11):

Goodsell Building, 8-12 Chifley Square (cnr Phillip & Hunter Streets), Sydney NSW

They are open from 9.30am-4.00pm Monday to Friday.

Copies can also be downloaded (free) by going to the Community Child Care website: www.ccccnsw.org.au

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Services will be relieved to know that they no longer have to photocopy children's blue books as proof of immunisation status.

Services are still required to maintain an up-to-date register of the immunisation status of every child in their service, but can now do so by getting parents to phone the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and obtaining a 'history statement'.

The phone number parents can phone to obtain a 'history statement' is 1800 653 809.

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The cross-sectoral taskforce set up by the Minister for Community Services, Carmel Tebbutt, to progress the move towards a 1:4 ratio had its first meeting at the end of last month. Bernadette Dunn from Community Child Care was elected as the Chair of the taskforce. The other members of the taskforce are:

• Tonia Godhard, Early Childhood Australia;
• Vic Laurence, Childcare NSW;
• Ian Weston, Childcare NSW;
• Prue Warrilow, NACBCS;
• Judy Kynaston, Country Children's Services Association;
• Gul Izmir, Department of Community Services;
• Geraldine Andrews, Department of Community Services;
• Merryl Bingham, Department of Community Services.

In their first meeting, the taskforce agreed on terms of reference and confidentiality and communication protocols. They also examined mechanisms for gathering information on the current situation in NSW regarding staff-child ratios in the provision of care for children 0-2 years. A survey of childcare services is to be developed for distribution next year.

The next meeting of the task force will be in November. Community Child Care welcomes the convening of the taskforce and looks forward to the resolution of the ratios issue.

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