Child care lobby

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
YARRA Ranges councillors are to lobby state and federal governments to restore an occasional childcare program they say is important for the mental health of parents.
More than 200 families in the Yarra Ranges will be affected if providers need to reduce services or increase charges to run the Take a Break program.
Councillor Richard Higgins said he knew of a single-parent with four children, “and there’s no way she can put four in care without this assistance”.
Cr Higgins said that was just one example, which was echoed across the Yarra Ranges.
“Parents do need a break so the family can survive, and a couple of hours makes that difference,” he said.
Councillor Samantha Dunn also said occasional child care was “incredibly vital child care”.
“The loss of this service would greatly impact on mothers who can’t do reading at primary school with toddler in tow, mothers who won’t be able to work and pop kids into occasional child care, and for parents who work from home and just need three hours to get job done,” she said.
“And the incredible part it plays for mental health that parents sometimes just need a break!”
Speaking at least week’s council meeting, the eight councillors (Cr Cox was absent) passed a motion to advocate on behalf of families in the Yarra Ranges.
Yarra Ranges Council will be writing to Federal Child Care Minister Kate Ellis and State Early Childhood Development Minister Wendy Lovell, seeking the immediate reinstatement of Take a Break funding and securing longer term sustainability and expansion of the program.
Funding troubles began in 2010 when the Federal Government refused to continue funding the program, and escalated this year when the new State Government also refused to fully fund the program.
The councillors said the governments were blind to the importance of the program.