About the policy: in brief
- Ensures council's commitment to funding childcare both now and into the future - with short and long term strategies to retain and increase childcare places.
- Extends council's financial support for low to middle income families.
- New building and maintenance charges, so that centres operating out of council buildings contribute towards building maintenance and replacement securing their existence into the future.
- Linking council's contribution to childcare to quality of care: replacing operational subsidies with a quality incentive payment - no centre will receive less than they do from the council now, many centres will receive more.
The policy aims to retain existing childcare places, achieve new childcare places, ensure childcare is high quality and make sure childcare is affordable. Above all, the policy creates a clear link between council's funding and the quality of care, and retains the council's commitment to the provision of council and community childcare centres in Port Phillip.
top
The policy
- City of Port Phillip will strive to improve the access of all families in the municipality to high quality childcare when they need it.
- Childcare is a joint responsibility of the three levels of government together with families. The federal government has the primary responsibility to ensure that childcare is accessible, affordable and of a high quality. However, current federal government policy does not deliver these outcomes in CoPP.
- A mixed sector of Council, community and private childcare can provide diversity, choice and sustainability.
- Families should have the opportunity for involvement in decisions that affect them to ensure that there is a community capacity to respond to, protect and enhance the social, cultural and economic diversity of the municipality.
- That in the interests of ensuring the ongoing viability of a mixed childcare sector in Port Phillip, all public expenditures on childcare should be transparent and clearly show:
5.1 Costs of providing services
5.2 Costs of providing quality buildings
5.3 Charges to users
5.4 Council subsidies and incentive payments.
6. All fees will be set to recover the costs of services, and the costs of maintaining as well as making a contribution to the improvement and/or replacement of existing buildings. However, as outlined in section 6.7 of the report to council on 22 February 2006, this will not represent a full fee cost recovery model, as Council will continue to provide significant support for childcare into the future.
7. CoPP will, therefore, continue to contribute to the funding of childcare by applying Council's total net financial contribution (as outlined in section 6.7 of the report to council on 22 February 2006) at all council and community run centres to:
a) A Quality Incentive Program for council/community centres to ensure continuing access to high quality childcare, as assessed by approved criteria.
b) An affordability subsidy to eligible families to ensure affordable fees for families least able to afford childcare, as assessed according to an approved standard.
c) Capital investment in the expansion and retention of council/community childcare places in the City of Port Phillip (as currently committed and outlines in section 6.3.8 of the report to council on 22 February 2006).
8. Council's financial allocation will be made via the budget process and be subject to regular scrutiny of the effectiveness of this policy in delivering Council's desired outcomes.
9. In line with section 8 of the report to council on 22 February 2006 Council will work with centres individually to assist them to continue to provide high quality, affordable childcare, within the parameters of this policy.
top
More information
Council agenda papers for the report to council on 22 February 2006 can be found here.
The following web pages provide background information to the development of the policy.
Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer phone ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for Family & Children's Services.
top |
