See text below.
EXCERPTS
Almost 10 per cent of [New South Wales] childcare centres are failing to meet quality standards, with more than 100 at risk of having their childcare benefit approval cancelled.
Of the state's 3298 centres, which care for more than 100,000 children, the number failing to meet standards in areas such as health, hygiene, nutrition, safety, staffing and protective care has tripled in less than three years.
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The Daily Telegraph can reveal all 188 long daycare, family daycare and out of school hours care centres given the "not accredited" status and the 105 which have received a more serious "non-compliant" rating from government watchdog, the National Childcare Accreditation Council, as of December 5, 2008.
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Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard denies the latest figures show standards have slipped among child care operators, with a spokeswoman claiming the number of centres failing accreditation had remained "relatively static over recent years".
She refused to comment on previous promises to "name and shame" services that don't meet standards, claiming that the Government was in the process of developing a range of reforms.
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Carlingford mum Maree Dennis, whose two children Isla, 3, and six-month-old Aoife attend the centre, said the Federal Government should tell parents exactly what the centre had failed on.
"There is a big difference between a small thing like whether they put a certain notice on the board or a major thing like hygiene, disease control or health and safety," she said.
"We want a system where parents can see how centres perform in each area, rather than just being accredited or not."
Childcare Associations Australia president Amanda Morphett would not comment specifically on The Daily Telegraph figures but said the sector wanted a simplified system that removed duplication and delivered "greater transparency" for parents.
- reprinted from The Daily Telegraph