Flexibility needed in rural child care, Waldron
Author: Terry Waldron
Published on: 31-March-2008
Deputy Leader of The Nationals and Member for Wagin Terry Waldron has called for greater flexibility in child care programs and regulations for rural WA.
“There is a huge and ever growing demand for child care services in our country communities which, at present under the current regulations, we cannot meet,” Mr Waldron said.
“If we don’t apply practical, safe and sensible flexibility to the current regulations we will see families leave our country communities."
“In most cases today both parents need to work, single parents need to work and some level of child care services are essential.”
Mr Waldron said recruiting and retaining qualified child care workers was a big problem.
“While we must have properly trained people looking after our children and we must have regulations to ensure the children’s safety, we must also treat each rural child care centre as an individual case and be prepared to adapt,” Mr Waldron said.
“On the job training of properly screened people, floor space allowances and temporary facilities need to be looked at and adopted where safe and practical.”
Mr Waldron said he understood the Department for Communities was currently looking at different initiatives and he encouraged them to trial new programs and flexible regulations in country communities in great need.
“Katanning for instance is in dire need of extra services and assistance right now,” Mr Waldron said. “This presents an opportunity to at least trial new initiatives.”
Mr Waldron stressed there were many other country communities with similar problems to Katanning.
“A recent meeting I attended in Katanning with concerned parents and child care workers highlighted some of the main issues,” Mr Waldron said.
“School holiday care is also a major concern and while the local shire is offering a holiday program to assist, we really need more registered child care facilities.”
Mr Waldron said he and The Nationals would pursue both State and Federal Governments on the issues of rural child care.
