MAV seeks kinder assurance
Victoria’s municipal-council peak body has backed a national call to lock in long-term funding for kindergartens.
Municipal Association of Victoria, MAV, has put its weight behind the Council of Australian Governments proposal.
The MAV is backing the move based on Victoria’s ‘unique model of preschool education, built on a partnership across three levels of government with support from communities and parents’, resulting in high participation rates.
Under a National Partnership on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education, Commonwealth funding has been provided year-to-year without a long-term funding arrangement.
MAV president Coral Ross said an introduction of funding under the partnership was predicated on evidence about the benefits of early childhood education for children before full-time schooling.
She said the weight of evidence had only grown stronger since the partnership was established.
She also added that kindergarten held a special place in the community’s heart in Victoria as a vital step in preparing children for school, and for children from disadvantaged families, the link between quality preschool programs and long-term outcomes was even more pronounced.
“It is undeniable that kindergarten provides numerous benefits to children prior to full-time schooling,” she said.
“There is an opportunity for the Australian Government to cement its funding for early-childhood education and create better outcomes for our children.”
Cr Ross said continual short-term funding arrangements had made it difficult for governments, councils and kindergartens to plan and provide services.
She said this difficulty for councils was compounded by financial losses from lack of access to the full federal childcare relief package – with the Federal Government dismissing local government as the responsibility of state governments.
This had intensified after council staff were deemed ineligible for the State Government funding assistance for public sector workers.
Cr Ross said this caused some councils to consider their future role as a provider of early years services and programs.
She said early-childhood education providers deserved the security that came with long-term funding. “Long-term funding under the National Partnership on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education is vital to provide security to kindergartens, councils, young families and the community,” she said.
“Long-term funding security is critical to ensure all children have access to an uninterrupted, high quality kindergarten education they need and deserve.”