According to Clr Firth, the
process of applying for childcare is too expensive and time consuming. “Parents
needing a childcare place have to fill out forms at each centre they apply to,
and some are even forced to pay a non-refundable fee to go on a waiting list.
Childcare shortages in the City of Sydney
are so bad that many parents end up on over ten different waiting lists,” she
said.
Erskineville mother, Rosanne Kerlin,
spent 18 months trying to secure a childcare place so she would be able to
return to work after the birth of her daughter. Kerlin placed her unborn child on
21 childcare waiting lists and 2 family day care lists. For many of the lists
she was required to pay a non-refundable application fee of between $10 and
$100.
She said, “I did not get a single
call from one of these childcare centres offering me a place. Every Monday for
months I rang each centre to get an update, and I begged, and I pleaded, and I
persuaded, and I compromised. Many told me they had a waiting list of over 2
years, some told me I would never get a spot.”
Kerlin was eventually granted placements
at two centres that provided 2 days care each at a cost of $624 dollars a
fortnight. Kerlin says despite her negative experience, she was one of the
luckier parents.
“Many first time mothers I know are
in a far worse position. Some are paying up to $110 a day for care, many have
suffered career set-backs by having to go parttime as they’re unable to find
suitable full-time care. A couple have resorted to enlisting extended family
members to help out in the short term and one has been forced to resign.”
Antoinette le Marchant is the chief
executive of KU Children’s Services, which runs 150 not-forprofit centres. She
said, “It’s a great idea that will help childcare providers understand what
parents want. It will save frustration on the part of both parents and service
providers.”
Marchant, however, warned that a
centralised waiting list would be difficult to administrate and would need
considerable resources to be a success. Firth says funding for childcare
shouldn’t be an issue.
“Council currently has a $300 million
surplus. We should be using this to help new parents desperate for childcare,”
Clr Firth said.
In recent months, City of Sydney Council has
announced a number of strategies aimed at addressing the inner city childcare
crisis.
The Lord Mayor, Clover Moore said,
“To address the serious under-provision of child care places, the City is
implementing a range of strategies including upgrading Council-owned facilities,
strict planning instruments as well as investigating using developer levies for
child care centres.
“The City is also leading by example,
spending more than $4 million upgrading Redfern, Alexandria and Surry Hills child care centres,
and reopening a disused 38 place facility in Chippendale. When complete, these
works will provide an additional 62 places including 35 for children aged under
two,” Clr Moore said.
Inner city resident Sean Macken
and children Photo: Ali Blogg
[South Sydney Herald July 2006]