See text below.
EXCERPTS
Childcare prices have risen by as much as $100 a week in suburbs where ABC centres have closed.
Parents looking for spots for their children in areas such as Vermont, Berwick, Narre Warren, Shepparton, Bayswater and Wantirna will now pay anything from $4 to $14 more a day at some centres, compared with last year.
Parents leaving closed ABC centres are reportedly offering other childcare operators $50 a week on top of fees in a bid to get their child a place.
…
Operators say the new-year price hikes are for regular annual rises, wages, increases in line with CPI and even the higher cost of supplying fruit and vegetables to the children because of the drought.
…
However, the union that represents childcare workers has slammed the price rises.
"These rises are pretty outrageous and taking the opportunity to slug parents with more price increases," said LHMU assistant national secretary Sue Lines.
"That's just pure profit-making.
"Private operators are certainly not putting those increases into workers' wages, and there is no increase due for workers at this time of year," she said.
…
Childcare workers will soon have fewer children to care for each day.
Under new state regulations to be announced today , staff will each care for four children under the age of three - the present ratio is one worker to five children.
And centres will have to employ one diploma-qualified staff member for every 12 children under three - now one such worker cares for 15 children.
- reprinted from Herald Sun