Member for Summer Hill, Jo Haylen, has come out swinging against the Turnbull Government’s decision to axe funding used to ensure the safety of children is protected in childcare and before and after school care centres.

Contained within the Federal Budget was a $7 million cut to the NSW Education Department’s regulatory efforts. Industry sources are now concerned that this cost will now be shifted onto childcare operators, further increasing fees for working parents.

State Government departments were only notified of this cut on Tuesday morning, hours before the Federal budget was released.

The existing regulatory enforcement regime was already under a cloud for failing to re-assess centres when their ownership changes and for failing to detect widespread fraud within the family day care sector.

This funding cut will put at risk the existing inspection and compliance workforce, making the task of keeping our kids safe while at day-care even harder.

The Commonwealth Government has a large stake in this regulatory efforts, as any non-compliance or fraud detected will reduce costs for the Federal Government through reduced childcare payments.

Quotes attributable to Member for Summer Hill, Jo Haylen MP

“Every parent worries that their kids are safe when they drop their kids off at day-care and we should be doing everything we can to assure them that child-care centres are safe.

“Cost of living pressures are through the roof, but yet again, a Liberal Government is making childcare more expensive at a time when childcare costs are already out of reach for so many parents.

“We are so lucky to have great chilcd-care centres here in the inner west, but Sarah Mitchell and Gladys Berejiklian must speak out against this cut to funding that puts a cloud over our kids’ safety.”

Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Kate Washington MP

“While the Prime Minister can find $17 Billion for handouts to the banks, he can’t find $7 million to keep our childcare centres safe.

“Families could face higher childcare costs in order to meet the shortfall in funding this important safety checks.

We have seen several dodgy operators entering the childcare sector. There’s a constant need to ensure operators are putting our children’s safety and wellbeing first.”