General News
17 August, 2024
More long daycare places to address shortage in the Wimmera
Wimmera and Grampians parents benefit from increased
Horsham Rural City Council has entered into an agreement with One Tree Community Services, paving the way for 91 new long daycare places to be available in the Horsham facility later this year, assisting parents across the Wimmera in returning to work.
HRCC CEO Sunil Bhalla welcomed representatives from One Tree Community Services Tuesday, August 13 at the Kalkee Road facility.
The development is part of the Council's plan to lessen the severe childcare shortage in the Wimmera region.
New agreement addresses childcare shortage.
Ruby McWaters, Regional Manager for One Tree, said the agreement will create additional jobs for childcare workers, beginning with 12 positions and increasing as needed.
"One Tree Community Services has a rich history of providing quality early years services. Their commitment to community and dedication to nurturing young minds aligns with our vision for the children of Horsham," Chief Executive Sunil Bhalla said.
One Tree has been operating in Victoria since 2016, and playgroups will continue to operate from the Hub alongside the long daycare, which has signed a lease to use rooms at the Kalkee Road Children's and Community Hub. the
"With three rooms at the Hub now vacant, we are pleased that One Tree is stepping in to provide much-needed long day care at the Hub," Mr Bhalla added.
"This is not just about providing care. It's about creating a nurturing environment where our children can grow, learn, and thrive. We are confident that One Tree Community Services will bring this vision to life."
One Tree will provide the service independently from Council, including managing enrolments and staffing.
Existing services remain at centre
Despite the new arrangement, maternal and child health services and supported playgroups will continue to operate from the Hub alongside the long daycare.
"The Kalkee Road Hub remains a cornerstone of our community, providing essential early years and immunisation services. We are excited about this new chapter and look forward to seeing its positive impact on our families," Mr Bhalla said.
One Tree Executive Director Coral Callan said, "One Tree is delighted to partner with Horsham Rural City Council to provide much-needed daycare children's services."
"We understand how important these services are in rural communities. Quality early education and care not only supports children's development but also helps to build a stronger community, enabling parents to re-enter the workforce.
"We are excited to start working with the council and local community to transform challenges into possibilities."
Free kinder not free
The Horsham announcement comes as the state government released a new program of extended kindergarten hours to assist parents back into the workforce.
Four-year-old kindergarten students will gradually transition to Pre-Prep programs rolled out by the Victorian Government across the state in 2025, including in six local government areas in the Wimmera, Ararat, Hindmarsh, Northern Grampians, and Yarrimbiack, followed by Horsham in 2026.
The new program will increase hours from 15 to 30 hours a week in a new Free Kindergarten to help parents return to work.
The announcement stated that Pre-Prep, like Four-Year-Old Kinder, would be free for children at participating kindergarten services across Victoria.
However, Member for Western Victoria Region Bev McArthur MP said in parliament during public hearings that "free" kinder is not actually free and revealed that local councils and ratepayers are left to foot the bill.
"I have long said that free kinder is not free for ratepayers," she said.
"The Labor Government claims the credit but leaves councils to pick up significant parts of the bill."
The Victorian Government said in its press release that free kindergarten funding is provided directly to service providers, not directly to families. The provider then passes the funding on to parents as a reduction in their fees.