Page 1086 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 3 May 2006
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very cognisant and aware of what it is doing. I am sure the minister is listening carefully and, hopefully, will be able to respond to some of the concerns of the opposition and crossbenchers today.
I trust that this sort of seed funding will continue to flow from the commonwealth by way of grants. It demonstrates their commitment to providing children and staff with the best possible facilities and, hopefully, at the local level the ACT community will continue to see the tangible benefits of additional funding to childcare centres. Again, as Dr Foskey pointed out, this is not something we can simply keep dropping back into the lap of the federal government—and I am sure the Stanhope government and minister Katy Gallagher are not about to do that.
The Australian government census of childcare services 2004 has emerged, providing a snapshot of the operational details of childcare services, the work of staff and carers, and the specific needs of childcare users. It should be recognised that the Australian government and state and territory governments have jointly developed national standards for childcare services. These standards express a national view about the level of childcare all Australians should expect to find in the different kinds of childcare services available to them.
The national standards comprise minimum standards for safe, nurturing and developmentally appropriate environments for children in formal childcare settings. The national standards are voluntary and are not enforceable. States and territories have utilised these standards to inform childcare regulations, funding guidelines and information resources. However, the degree to which the standards have been implemented varies between jurisdictions. Because of the size of our jurisdiction, I think the ACT can do really well in leading the way and leading the charge.
We have a great opportunity to be a showcase for childcare and early learning in this nation. It is promising that a joint Australian government/state and territory governments project is currently underway to review the national standards and to review the current and past processes for the setting and implementation of national standards. The outcomes of this project will be used to inform the development of minimum standards for all existing and future service types of early childhood care and education settings across Australia.
We would all agree that this is predominantly a national issue. As such, the opposition will support the ACT government in its endeavours to conform to a recognised national standard on the delivery of childcare services. I believe this shows the way in which Australia is moving forward. There is a need for a national, consistent approach across all jurisdictions, states and territories. No state or territory is an island anymore and boundaries are now blurred. I think we are going to see more national consistency across a range of portfolio areas.
Members may be aware of the summary of findings from the 2004 Australian government census of childcare services. I would like to highlight some major findings relevant to the ACT. The average weekly fee was $208 for private long day care centres and $211 for community long day care centres. For family day care schemes the average weekly fee was $185. Outside school hours, care services charged on average $6.68 per session for before-school care and $10.28 per session for after-school care. For vacation
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