MARIBYRNONG City Council has called on the Federal Government to fund new child care centres and renovate existing ones in light of early years reforms.
Under new reforms proposed by the Federal Government, children must have access to a 15 hour per week kindergarten program by 2013.
Other changes also include an improved staff to child ratio of one employee per 11 kids.
The changes will significantly reduce the enrolment places available across the municipality, with child care groups currently operating at 25/26 children with two staff will be reduced to 22 children.
For sessional kindergartens alone, this will see a loss of 68 places across the municipality and will equate to a projected shortfall of 130 places by 2016.
The council has 2155 kids on the waiting list for long day care and one of the largest pre-school populations per capita.
The council wants to open four new child care centres over the next 15 years to accommodate the changes, plus renovate 14 of their 22 child care facilities to meet increasing demand for services.
The cost for these projects has conservatively been estimated at $22 million.
Councillors welcomed the changes, but were adamant that it shouldn’t be left up to ratepayers to foot the bill.
“We already have a natural increase and now we have to cope with another, outside increase,” Cr Dina Lynch said.
But Mayor Sel Sanli said the council “needs to find solutions, not excuses” and vowed to work with State and Federal Governments to make the changes happen.
