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About half the early-childcare services that joined the Government's 20-hours-free scheme are asking parents to pay optional charges, a new survey shows.
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The Education Ministry surveyed centres in October after former education minister Steve Maharey promised an early review of the controversial scheme, which offers 20 hours free childcare a week to three and four-year-olds.
The report, which was sent to new minister Chris Carter last month, showed that nearly half of the 60 centres surveyed were charging optional fees, ranging from less than 50c to $2.50 an hour.
Early Childhood Council chief executive Sue Thorne said the report did not contain many surprises.
"I think it is a bit early to really see what the effect will be," she said.
"One thing I am concerned about is if they only talk to centres that have signed up to 20 hours free. Surely to look at the impact of the scheme you need to look at the effect it is having on families who cannot access it as well."
Thorne said she still believed 20 free hours was not attracting some families that would benefit from early-childhood education, and more targeted schemes were needed.
James Street Preschool owner Murray Salt said the scheme was working successfully.
The Redcliffs centre offers 20 hours free but asks parents to pay a $2 an hour optional charge to help maintain lower teacher-child ratios and pay for extras such as hot meals.
"Most of the parents said they would support it and they have," Salt said.
"It is working successfully, although the administration has been pretty full-on.
"You want to get it right, otherwise it could cost you big dollars when the ministry comes to audit."
The centre had been inundated with calls from parents wanting to access the scheme, Salt said.
"We've had people ringing from the other side of town asking if we are offering free hours and whether we have any space," he said.
"The sad outcome of that is that we have had to close our waiting list."
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"We [Mother Robyn Verstappen] have always been happy with the quality of care at James Street so we were willing to pay a bit extra, but it has definitely been easier on our pockets."
The ministry's senior programme manger for early-childhood education, Rose Cole, said the report was based on preliminary findings and a follow-up survey was under way.
Many centres surveyed were already full and the Government was providing about $16 million a year to help set up new centres in areas where a lack of provision was preventing families from accessing early-childhood education.
The number of teacher-led centres offering free hours has increased to 2150 since the scheme was launched last July.
- reprinted from Stuff