Cleeland calls for childcare reform

By Bianca Hall

Feb 3, 2023

A system struggling: Not-for-profit Goulburn Regional Preschool Association has 18 preschool centres across the Goulburn Valley; many have extensive wait lists and not enough licensed places. Ronni Druitt meets with state Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland to discuss the problem.

Scarce childcare and kinder availability across the region highlights the need to reform licensing arrangements to better reflect regional circumstances, according to state Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

With significant overlap between different levels of government in the preschool sector, Ms Cleeland said reform was necessary to simplify the industry.

“For a regional centre there are licensing, management and land arrangements that often involve all three levels of government,” Ms Cleeland sad.

“In metro areas childcare centres are usually separated from kindergartens, whereas this isn’t the case in regional areas.

“This has real implications ... An extra kinder place can mean losing a childcare place and with pressure on both wait lists in places like Nagambie.”

There are currently childcare shortages in Avenel, Nagambie and Seymour, with a new childcare centre to be built in Seymour.

“Towns like Murchison simply don’t have any kinder, which has a massive impact on the town’s future, with families choosing to relocate most of their lives to bigger centres like Shepparton,” Ms Cleeland said.

“We have extreme cost-of-living pressures, as well as a labour crisis — more accessible childcare is important to ensure parents can return to work and alleviate these issues.”