Joint Commonwealth/State funding for long day care centres

Parents in a variety of Western Australian suburban and country long day care centres are to benefit from additional Federal and State Government funding.

Funding of $102,472 per annum was announced today by the Federal Minister for Aged, Family and Health Services, Peter Staples, and the Western Australian Minister for Community Services, Eric Ripper.

"Services to benefit are located in areas identified as having a high need for centre-based long day care services," Mr Staples said.

"They will contribute to meeting the Federal Government's objective of ensuring that families with children have access to a range of quality, affordable child care services that are appropriate to their needs."

The Wind in the Willows Children's Centre in Bassendean will receive a capital grant of $85,000 to enable it to upgrade and expand its service in the up to two year old age group.

Community houses at Bunbury (Milligan House), Mirrabooka (Sudbury Community House), Boulder (Golden Mile Community House), Port Hedland (Treloar Community House), Langford (Boogurlarri Community House) and Beechboro (Brockman House), have been approved to receive additional operational funding to bring those services up to 28 places each.

Mr Ripper said that the services would provide child care places to enable working parents to continue participating in the workforce.

"Western Australian families will benefit because centre-based long day care services provide instructional and developmental services for children at a formative age, whilst enabling their parents to contribute to the workforce and general community," Mr Ripper said.

The services were approved as part of the Federal Government's National Child Care Strategy, announced in the 1988 Budget, which allowed for the establishment of 30,000 new child care places by 1992. In the 1990 Budget, this was extended to 80,000 new child care places by 1996.

Mr Staples said the approval of funding for these services demonstrated the continuing commitment of the Federal and State Governments to working together to provide accessible and affordable child care for Australian families.