St Ives Occasional Care: Famous non-profit childcare centre faces uncertain future due to COVID-19
St Ives Occasional Care, a once popular not-for-profit childcare centre which was run by an ex-prime minister’s wife, could be shutdown if business doesn’t pick up.
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A once-popular childcare centre previously run by an ex-prime minister’s wife could be under threat of closure after it was hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak.
St Ives Occasional Care was directed by Tony Abbott’s wife, Margie Abbott, and was where their children attended.
While it is not covered by the government’s childcare subsidy, it offers more affordable rates and flexible arrangements with occasional and long term placements for children.
President of the Parents Committee Lauren McGill announced after 47 years of operation the centre would only be able to stay afloat until the end of 2020, but there was still uncertainty surrounding its long term future.
“There’s only about six occasional care centres in Sydney, we’ve spoken to them and we have all been badly affected because there’s been very little support from the government unlike day care centres,” Ms McGill said.
“When parents began pulling their children out of occasional care, the centre didn’t have a chance. We’re a non for profit so we didn’t have a huge amount of money in the bank and we were hit hard.
“We had to shutdown during the last two weeks of the term because we didn’t have the numbers (of children) and it wasn’t financially viable. We reopened at the beginning of Term 2 and we weren’t getting enough kids in every day.”
Ms McGill said about six weeks ago the committee looked at figures, which were “really bad”.
“We decided if numbers didn’t pick up, we’d shutdown on September 30. During that time staff and parents got together to promote the centre in anyway we could, and numbers began to improve.
“At our meeting last week we confirmed we could stay open for the rest of the year. At this rate I don’t know if the centre will reopen next year.
“There are all these giant day care centres opening up. We’re here to give care to children in our community. It’s a real family centre, and it is mostly run my grandmas.”
She thanked the community for their support so far and urged interested parents to get in contact.
Another spokeswoman for the centre their ultimate goal is to continue operating the centre “into 2021 and beyond”.
St Ives Occasional Care has been running since 1973 and caters for children from birth to five years of age.
The centre is licensed for 25 children and run by professionals authorised by the Department of Community Services (DoCS).