HUGE CHILDCARE FEES HIT WORKING PARENTS
STRUGGLING Gold Coast families are having to find $600 a fortnight to keep their spot at childcare centres because of the Federal Government’s decision to cut subsidies.
Families reliant on the assistance say the grant has been cut far too soon, with many still looking to get back into work, in unstable employment or unable to claim their usual hours.
Some families will now revert to the original Child Care Subsidy scheme, which will be available under a new, more relaxed criteria until October 4.
However, for mother-oftwo Renee Clarke, the change means she and her husband will now return to paying $640 a fortnight to ensure their two children retain a place at their centre so they can be available for work when required.
A law student and psychologist, Ms Clarke has to work four days a week to cover the cost of childcare, and her husband works fulltime in airconditioning.
“The free childcare has given us breathing space in an uncertain time when work isn’t guaranteed,” Ms
Clarke said. “I know other families that have both lost their jobs and are unemployed or trying to work from home.
“They need to retain their spaces in childcare so they can go back when they need to.
“There are so many families with plates up in the air, everything isn’t back to normal.”
The Helensvale mum said she would have preferred continued support until the economy had completely returned.
“I don’t begrudge having to pay fees as the childcare is a business too, and I know it is a lot of money for the government, but going back to the old system makes it hard.”
The temporary fee-free childcare scheme took effect in April and was estimated to have cost about $1.6 billion over three months.
Labor Senator Murray Watt said he believed families were being “left in the lurch”.
“Its (federal government’s) decision to cut free child care is going to put a lot of families in a really difficult position,” he said.
“We are already seeing lots of families choose between taking extra hours at work and choosing childcare for their kids – no family should have to be in that position.
“Even before coronavirus, childcare costs were unaffordable for so many Gold Coast families and now when people have lost work and lost hours, they are now having to go back to those unaffordable fees with less money in their pocket.
“It means a lot of centres are potentially going to lose families and that is going to put a lot of educators at risk as well. I hope the Morrison Government might reconsider.”