Busy parents choosing long-day care over kindergarten

TIME-POOR working parents are increasingly choosing long-day childcare over short-hour kindergartens for their preschool-aged children.

TIME-POOR working parents are increasingly choosing long-day childcare over short-hour kindergartens for their preschool-aged children.

The era of stand-alone community kinders operating just a few hours a week are over, as many parents turn to childcare centres because of the longer hours.

Kinders are having to offer childcare programs as well in order to compete.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released on Wednesday shows 89 per cent of four-year-olds nationally are enrolled in preschool education.

But just 43 per cent are now enrolled in a stand-alone kindergarten which used to be the dominant preschool model. Now more than half — 51 per cent — are now opting for a kinder program in a childcare centre.

CHILDCARE COSTS TO SOAR PAST $200 A DAY UNLESS GOVERNMENT STEPS IN, ANALYSIS WARNS

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REVEALS LATEST WIDESPREAD CHILDCARE CLAIM RORTING

Time-poor working parents are increasingly choosing long-day childcare over short-hour kindergartens. Generic picture: iStock

In Victoria 48 per cent of families choose stand-alone kinders and 46 per cent choose kinder programs in childcare centres, although just two years ago 58 per cent were in kinder and 40 per cent were in childcare.

Traditionally, stand-alone kinders have offered children sessions lasting just a few hours a day while childcare operates for 12 or more hours.

Shane Lucas, chief executive officer of the Early Learning Association of Australia, said kinders were increasingly competing with child care centres because of the choice of longer hours.

“Kinder is still a very strong brand but there has been evolution in the sector with many also running childcare programs,” he said.

“More families need a longer day of care because of work commitments,” Mr Lucas said.

Jane Arnett, childcare director East Brunswick Kindergarten and Childcare, said her centre was meeting community needs by offering childcare as well as the kinder program.

CHILDCARE CENTRES EARN FAVOURABLE REPORT CARD

MELBOURNE CHILDCARE CENTRE TO OFFER LATE-NIGHT OPENING HOURS TO HELP BUSY PARENTS

Tahlia Fisher, 4, and Ineke Baldrocco, 4, at community-run stand-alone East Brunswick Kindergarten. Picture: Josie Hayden

“Parents wanted a stand-alone model run by a parent committee but with longer hours,” she said.

“We now offer a four-year-old program with 15 hours of kinder but afterwards the children can access the long day care offered on site.

“This also enables parents to access the government childcare rebate,” she said.

Ms Arnett said half of the children at the centre accessed longer days.

The ABS data shows nearly all children are enrolled for 15 hours or more. Fifty per cent pay between one and four dollars an hour for preschool, ten per cent pay more than five dollars an hour and 20 per cent don’t pay anything.

[e-mail]