Bob Baldwin, Member for Paterson said parents across the Paterson Electorate were dealt another blow, following the Rudd Labor Government’s announcement that it would cut federal funding for the Active After-school Communities Program from December.
This is an important program that helps schools offer after-hours activities and sport for 150,000 children across Australia.
“Programs such as this provide supervision and care for local children while also helping to tackle obesity, develop fitness and a life-long love of sport,” said Mr Baldwin.
“They are also critical in helping working parents to meet the care needs of their 5 to 12 year olds.
“Clearly working parents are under attack yet again, just weeks after Kevin Rudd scrapped his promise to build 260 new child care centres,” said Mr Baldwin.
“This is a Prime Minister who repeatedly spruiked the need for better childcare before the last election, but now faced with reality he has turned in the opposite direction.”
The Child Care Rebate was also capped in the budget, despite child care fees increasing by up to $22 per child per day to accommodate the new Child Care Quality Framework. Labor is now rushing this change through Parliament.
The Establishment Grants for Family Day Care have also been slashed, as well as special funding for remote services.
“Now it is the turn of the highly successful Active After-school Communities Program to feel the pain,” said Mr Baldwin.
“Families deserve to feel cheated that the Rudd Labor Government has attacked child care funding, yet still managed to find $38.5million to run a self-serving political advertising campaign promoting is new mining tax.”
