Coker calls for childcare fee waiver for health workers

CORANGAMITE MP Libby Coker is calling on the federal government to waive the childcare gap payment for all medical professionals.

Ms Coker said waiving the fees would be a reward for their hard work, as well as an incentive to continue as health services battle a surge in Covid-19 infections.

“We need to be encouraging more health professionals with young families to be at work helping with the Covid fight,” she said.

“The nation’s hospitals, medical centres and ambulance services need every single medical professional they can get right now.

“Instead, the MorrisonJoyce government is offering a disincentive to their returning or continuing to work.”

In a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Ms Coker said she had witnessed first-hand the “agonising decisions” being forced on healthcare professionals with young families.

“I’m aware of working nurses, some of them single mums, who are struggling to meet childcare costs and questioning the worth of working, especially with the extra demands during Covid,” she said.

“I also know of others who would consider coming back to the workforce to help during Covid if their childcare gap fee was waived.”

The gap fee is the difference between the childcare subsidy and the fees charged by childcare services.

In August, it was announced the gap fee would be waived for parents in Greater Melbourne, the ACT and parts of NSW as respite from having to pay fees for childcare they have not been able to access.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said the federal government’s childcare policies were keeping the costs low for all, including health professionals. “Almost one-quarter of Victorian families pay less than $2 per hour for childcare,” she said. “The average out-ofpocket cost in Victoria is just $4.05 per hour, around 23 per cent cheaper than before our child care package was introduced in 2018.”

As of March next year, Ms Henderson said the federal government would provide additional support to about 250,000 families with two or more kids in care. “Around 3110 families in Geelong and surrounds have more than one child under six in care and stand to be an average of $2200 better off a year under our multiple childcare subsidy and around $700 better off this financial year,” she said.

“These families will receive an additional 30 per cent subsidy – covering up to 95 per cent of their costs for their second child and any additional children in care.”