Gladys Berejiklian’s pitch to working families: Before and after-school care for every child

Premier Gladys Berejik­lian will promise out-of-school-hours care for every child in NSW at the Liberal Party’s State Election campaign launch today. SEE THE DETAILS HERE.

Every child in the state will have access to before- and after-school care to help families juggling work and family life, under the most significant Coalition cost-of-living policy to date.

Premier Gladys Berejik­lian will use her keynote ­address at the Liberal Party campaign launch today to set out plans to ease the burden on parents.

The policy requires every primary school to open playgrounds, classrooms and halls so kids can be cared for from 7am until 6pm by 2021.

Kim and Rob Nash with their two daughters Matilda, 3, and Annabelle. 5. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

For smaller or remote schools, where onsite services may not be an option, the Coalition will provide transport for students to and from offsite providers or other schools.

The cost to parents will also be minimised, with rental subsidies of up to $15,000 for care providers who can demonstrate savings will be passed on to families. A mobile phone app and website will allow places to be booked online.

MORE FROM LINDA SILMALIS

PREMIER’S SISTER MARY TAKES ON THE ONLINE TROLLS

GLADYS, WOMEN COP A SERVE ON LIB CLUB FORUM

MEDICOS CLAIM FAIRFIELD HOSPITAL OPERATING IN ‘TIME WARP’

Principals will have access to $120 million to set up after-hours care, including buying necessary equipment.

Ms Berejiklian, who will deliver her pitch to the party faithful at Penrith Panthers in the marginal Liberal seat of Penrith, said the policy ­addressed a growing demand for out-of-hours care.

“We know a major challenge for working families is accessing affordable and convenient before- and after-school care,” Ms Berejiklian said. “I want to ensure care is available to everyone at a ­location that is convenient.

“It isn’t good enough for there to be growing waiting lists for before- and after-hours school care while community resources remain under-utilised.”

With cost of living the top issue in the state election, the Coalition is hoping the policy will be a game-changer.

Like most families, Kim and Robert Nash, of Harrington Park, juggle work and care for daughters Annabelle, 5, and Matilda, 3, enlisting both grandparents and out-of-hours care services.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian meets students at Maronite College of the Holy Family School. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

Mrs Nash, an events co-ordinator at the Powerhouse Museum, said she worked three days a week while her husband did shiftwork.

“Our local school provides casual care with two hours’ notice, which I have had to use a couple of times,” she said.

While early childcare is regulated by the federal government, the struggle does not end when children enter school, with parents fighting for limited places or cutting down work hours to 3pm. Currently it is up to each school to decide whether to offer out-of-hours care, as well as how much space they provide for private providers.

The hands-off approach has led to varying levels of supply, with parents in high-demand areas in Sydney’s inner west waiting for up to two years for a place.

A government-commissioned study in 2017 found a “lack of willingness” among some schools to free up room to care providers.

Almost a third of parents surveyed said they had applied for out-of-school-hours care but had been unsuccessful, resulting in “a high ­dependency” on alternative arrangements such as friends and relatives, or “reduction or rearranging work”.

“Approximately 83.3 per cent of the services reported that their waiting lists have increased over the past two years,” the report said.

Kim and Rob Nash juggle work and childcare, enlisting both grandparents and out-of-hours care services to look after Matilda and Annabelle. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Education Minister Rob Stokes said a specialist team would be created to work with principals and P & Cs to co-ordinate services and manage leases.

Schools would receive $120 million over four years, including $50 million for equipment and to expand ­facilities, $40 million for rental subsidies, $20 million for an implementation fund, $8.5 million to co-ordinate services in specific areas or regions, and $2 million for a new website and mobile app.

A human resources executive, who declined to be named, said she was often asked by desperate parents to write letters to care providers in the hope of having the family prioritised.

“We have provided letters saying that both parents work full-time and that not having care would compromise their jobs,” she said.

“Some places seem harder to get in to, while others accommodate every child so long as they are notified in advance.”

Originally published as Gladys Berejiklian’s pitch to working families: Before and after-school care for every child