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Almost 900 children trying to squeeze into fewer than 70 places, an average waiting time of more than two years and parents in tears but the Federal Government says there is no childcare crisis here.
This is the Waverley Child Care Centre, the face of Sydney's childcare crisis and possibly the most in-demand daycare centre in the country. A total of 895 children are currently waiting for just 68 places. Most will have to wait at least two years, many will simply never get a place at all. And it is not alone.
The other two centres operated by Waverley Council have about 50 places and waiting lists of about 700 children each. "You actually have people on the phone crying,'' children's services co-ordinator Christine Egri told The Daily Telegraph.
Ms Egri said the situation for places for newborns to two year olds was desperate. At the heart of the problem is the fact that council-run centres tend to have lower staff-to-child ratios - that is more childcare workers per child - lower fees and more services, making them most parents' preference. But because there are privately owned and run centres nearby that have vacancies - even though some charge up to $110 a day - the area is not classified as a Federal Government hotspot. By contrast the council-run centre charges about $50 a day.
The council is calling for an overhaul of funding for childcare that gives priority to council and community centres where there is most demand. Labor childcare spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said parents were entitled to quality childcare and should not be forced into second rate centres.
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- reprinted from the Daily Telegraph