By Briar Sinclair
HOBSONS Bay City Council will outsource its holiday program for primary school students, saving ratepayers $125,000 a year.
The council passed a motion calling for expressions of interest from qualified and experienced after-school and holiday program providers to take up the service at a meeting last month.
One 60-place program is run at Spotswood Primary School and another 55 place program is held at Altona Meadows Community Centre in the summer holidays.
While the Altona Meadows program was 85.5 per cent booked in the September holidays, just over half of the program was used at Spotswood.
The program cost the council $157,420 in 2003-04 and $125,147 in 2004-05.
Community services director Peter Hunt said the council had taken the decision to look externally with great care and a number of providers had shown interest.
“We expect it to be a fairly competitive process and we’re fortunate to have some pretty high quality providers of after-school care,” he said.
Mr Hunt said after-school providers running the service would have a better outcome for students and parents because the student already had a relationship with the carer.
“The children form relationships with after-school staff and when they attend the holiday program they may only see those staff two to three times a year,” he said.
“The feedback is that kids enjoy the after-school care more because they have got that relationship with the after-school provider.”
Mr Hunt said the council would sign over the number of registered places it holds to the preferred program provider.
The council will continue running the program if a suitable provider cannot be found.
A council report showed that 70 parents responded to a survey about the program stating location, cost, hours of operation and quality were important in deciding to use a school holiday program.
The small number of respondents who had children with special needs voiced more concerns about a management change to the program.
With the money saved the council wants to provide some group respite or recreational programs for children with special needs during the school holidays.
