Face of Nation International : Scott Morrison said the Government would also provide support to 13,000 childcare centres across the country to ensure they kept operating, as the coronavirus pandemic threatens their viability.
“Child care and early childhood education is critical, particularly for those Australians who rely on it so they can go to work every day,” Mr Morrison said. “Critical areas are not just the obvious ones — it is not just the doctors or the nurses who are at the hospitals, it is the cleaners at the hospitals as well.
“It is the people driving trucks to get food out to supermarkets and ensure the supplies continue. “If you have a job in this economy then that is an essential job, in my view, in terms of the running of the economy and it is important that all of those parents who have children, that they get access to child care and those facilities will be there for them in the many months ahead.”
Childcare centres close after double-whammy hits sector
The childcare sector says it is facing a crisis like never before and has been desperate for a bailout. It relies on a mix of payments from the Federal Government and parents.
The Commonwealth Childcare Subsidy (CCS) makes up, on average, about 60 per cent of the upfront payment to centres. The rest comes from parents. In the past month, many parents have kept their children at home over fears their children may get sick. Children have also been kept home because parents have lost their jobs and can no longer afford childcare, or no longer need it.
That has meant the sector’s been hit by a double-whammy, losing both sources of income, and more than 600 childcare and after school care centres have closed. (Source: ABC News – Australia)
