Call for higher of childcare services

Press, 5 December 1985, Page 24

Call for higher of childcare services

PA Wellington A big increase in resources for childcare services is clearly needed, according to a report released this week. The recommendation comes in the report of the joint Ministerial working party for the transfer of childcare administration from the Social Welfare’Department to the Education Department. The working party said that it strongly supported the transfer, due to take place in July. Equity between early childhood services and those of other educational sectors was a big concern. “To achieve this, a major increase in resources to childcare services is clearly needed,” the report said. “In particular, funding of childcare staffing, training, advisory and support services, and the strengthening of the Department of Education resources are identified as areas of prime importance.” The Minister of Social Welfare, Mrs Hercus, and

the Minister of Education, Mr Marshall, said the report would now be considered by the Government. “Many of the recommendations have considerable resource implications, and will be considered in the context of the 1986 budget policy discussions,” « they said. More than 100 people are expected to attend a twoday forum on early childhood care and education beginning at Parliament today. Mr Marshall said the forum’s main concern would be to ensure that families had access to the type of childcare they preferred, with high-quality care and education provided by trained staff at a price they could afford. The question was how to achieve that goal without jenioving the identity, autonomy, and diversity of the early childhood services how available — and at a funding level acceptable to the taxpayer. 1 The director of early childhood education in the

Education Department, Mrs Vai Burns, said early childhood services had developed largely from individual and community effort That was still a great strength of the early childhood system, she said.’ It had, however also created unevenness or gaps in areas where awareness of need was lacking and local initiatives had failed to develop, Mrs Burns said. Kindergartens, playcentres, pre-schools, full day-care centres, sessional childcare centres and special purpose childcare centres were all financed on a different basis. That raised serious questions of equity in Government funding. Mrs Bums said tax relief, benefits to families, direct funding of services and provision of staff and resources were options to be examined. The forum, in the Legislative Chamber, will be opened by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, and addressed by both Mr Marshall and Mrs Hercus.