Arabic version: نيو ساوث ويلز تتعهد بإنشاء 100 مركز رعاية أطفال عامة ليوم كامل
According to ABC News, the NSW Labor government has pledged to open and operate 100 new long-day childcare centres if it is re-elected at the state election in March. The proposal would create the first publicly owned long-day childcare centres in NSW and is intended to address demand for care.
The government expects the centres to provide 5,000 places for about 8,000 families. They would be additional to its existing commitment to build 100 new preschools, which are due to be operational from January next year. In the private sector, long-day centres provide early childhood services for children from birth to four years old and typically operate between 7am and 6pm.
Premier Chris Minns said the new centres would be built on existing public primary school sites and in areas described as childcare deserts. He said the government would not be indiscriminate about locations, and expected many centres to open in Western Sydney and regional NSW. Mr Minns said families were missing out on affordable childcare after having children.
Deputy Premier Prue Car said families needed the extended hours that long-day care would provide. She said the centres would end the “double drop off”, make it easier for parents to return to the workforce and support high-quality early learning as children move into kindergarten and primary school.
The government also announced a two-year funding guarantee for community-run preschools as the Universal Preschool Funding Program replaces the Start Strong arrangement from January 1. Community preschool operators had raised concerns that the new model could affect care quality and leave some centres financially worse off. The government says 10,000 families are missing out on community preschool places.
