Childcare operators call for government rescue as centres close amid the coronavirus crisis

Childcare operators fear for the future of the industry without immediate government help as the coronavirus pandemic forces centres to close.

TASMANIA’S childcare sector is “bleeding” and government support is urgently needed to rescue it in the wake of unprecedented impacts from the coronavirus, state officials say.

Centres are facing downturns of up to 90 per cent due to job losses and government advice for people to stay home, Early Childhood Australia Tasmanian president Ros Cornish said.

“The sector is bleeding and we need support, we need it now,” she told the Mercury.

“Every day we stay open is another day viability is impacted because of the downturn and the ability to reopen later on when the crisis is over is being compromised.

“We need urgent help. Some of our members said they can’t pay wage bills this week and they’ll have to close.

“It would probably be best if the government closed us down instead of bleeding us dry.”

Ms Cornish said the sector was in favour of social distancing and stay home directives, but said the sector badly needed help.

She said some centres have already closed but the sector would be “in dire straits” the longer the status quo continued.

Early Childhood Australia Tasmanian president Ros Cornish.

It comes as state Opposition Leader Rebecca White called for the Federal Government to implement a planned closure of childcare centres, or risk the collapse of the sector.

“People are taking their children out of care either because they’ve lost work, or to help reduce the spread of the virus,” she said.

“Childcare centres are reliant to a degree on Federal Government funding, yet there’s no clarity from government on how centres will be supported to survive the COVID-19 crisis.”

Premier Peter Gutwein said discussions were happening at a national level to consider the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on childcare centres.

Mr Gutwein said if parents could care for their children at home, they should.

“But if they are an essential worker ... they should utilise the services that are available to them because childcare centres are taking every step that they possibly can in line with national guidelines to ensure those facilities are safe,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, it’s a matter that will be dealt with at a national level.”

Last week, the Federal Government announced young children would be allowed an extra 20 absent days before their parents lose government subsidies on childcare fees.

Families can now have a total of 62 unexplained absences for this financial year, and won’t have to produce medical evidence if a child is absent for coronavirus-related reasons.

Ms Cornish said in Tasmania it was up to individual childcare providers to decide if they waived or discounted the gap fee usually payable by parents given current circumstances.

She said if the sector did enter a shutdown period, there still needed to be a provision for children of essential workers, such as health care professionals.