Expanded access to childcare subsidies is expected to help 4,800 families on the south coast - from Kiama to Tuross Head, and everywhere in between. Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips was joined by federal Education Minister Jason Clare on Tuesday (May 16), to announce several changes to the existing Child Care Subsidy. From July, the subsidy will increase to cover 90 per cent of the cost of childcare for low-income families (with a combined income of $80K or less), For families with multiple children under the age of five, childcare will remain 95 per cent subsidised. Eligibility for the scheme is also due to be expanded, to include more families with young children. READ MORE: Visiting Cullunghutti Preschool in Worrigee to make the announcement, Mr Clare said an expanded subsidy is intended to tackle cost of living pressures and give parents the ability to go back to their jobs. Expanding the Child Care Subsidy was an election commitment from the government. "Anyone that has a child in childcare knows how expensive it is; the cost has gone up by about 49 per cent in the last few years," he said. "Apart from the mortgage or the rent, it's the biggest bill that a lot of families pay. "About 12.6 million families across the country will be eligible - more families than ever before. Part of the reason for that is to create economic incentives for people to go back to work. "At the moment, particularly for women, working a third, fourth or fifth day of paid work doesn't make financial sense because the childcare costs almost as much as you earn for that extra day. "By cutting the cost of childcare, it changes the financial equation for a lot of families." Mrs Phillips added childcare costs were a common concern raised to her by local families. "I hear about childcare almost every day when I'm out in the electorate, and I know local families are counting down the days until July..." she said. "In many cases, people want to work more hours, but they just can't because of the cost of childcare. "Childcare impacts every family, and it is a huge cost, so by doing this it provides that cost of living relief." READ MORE: With costs about to be tackled, the next national challenge is a skills shortage. When asked about ongoing educator shortages in the early learning sector, Mr Clare said there was a focus on training up more early childhood educators. There was also a budget allocation for university and TAFE places. "We've got more [childcare] centres opening, but we will have a nationwide shortage of early educators," he said. "It's one of the reasons why we've allocated more spots at university and more fee-free TAFE places. 'We've got about 128,000 people in TAFE and at university at the moment, training to become early educators and teachers, but we need even more. "We're going to need tend of thousands fo more workers in the years ahead, as more children spend more time getting the early education they need." This year's federal budget has allocated further funding for childcare centres, to support professional development for current educators. Long term, Mr Clare said there is a view for universal preschool in Australia. "[The subsidy] is the first step, the second step is building the workforce," he said. "The third is work we're doing with the Productivity Commission to set up a universal early education system right across the country - like with Medicare and universal superannuation." Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
