Call for review to examine childcare fees

Parramatta City Council has urged the federal government to review the impact of the National Competition Policy on councils and their ability to deliver affordable childcare for working families. “Complying with the National Competition Policy is starting to cripple council’s ability to run childcare centres at neutral cost. For the past two years (council’s) childcare centres have not been breaking even. Their income needs to cover their costs and this needs to be rectified to adhere to the competition policy and to maintain good fiscal responsibility,” said the Lord Mayor, Paul Barber. An editorial in The Daily Telegraph yesterday said council “ought to be shamed” for raising fees by $18 to $57 in 2008/09.