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EXCERPTS
Thirteen thousand babies will miss out on a child care place as desperate parents try signing before conceiving.
Victoria's child care shortage has reached crisis proportions, with the majority of children on waiting lists for council or community-run centres never likely to get a place.
Most councils have closed waiting lists for 2005 and are accepting expressions of interest for 2006 and beyond.
In one example, Lady Gowrie Child Care Centre, in Carlton, has a waiting list of 300 for its baby room, but accepted only 15 babies this year.
South Melbourne couple Donovan and Melissa Jacka started ringing child care centres three weeks after they conceived their baby.
"We spoke to child care centres before our parents," Mr Jacka said.
The squeeze comes as:
- Fees in many council, community and private centres increased by at least 20 per cent in 2004, with similar rises expected this year due to wage rises. Private centres are charging up to $82 a day and community centres up to $66.
- Tighter state regulation is further pushing up place numbers -- one centre was forced to drop from 53 places to 45 to meet guidelines.
- Twenty-one child care centres do not meet federal quality standards and 18 have exemptions from space or staffing regulations.
Council waiting lists include 1600 in Port Phillip, 470 in Melbourne, 400 in Whitehorse, 326 in Knox, 291 in Hobsons Bay including family day care, 212 in Yarra Ranges and 180 in Moreland.
Rebecca Bartel, convenor of the lobby group Child care Access in Port Phillip, said the lack of places in inner bayside suburbs forced some parents to take children to work and others to consider moving.
Acting Minister for Children and Community Services Brownwyn Pike said 8000 Victorian children in long day care and 5000 in family day care will miss out this year.
A rally for parents seeking child care in Port Phillip will be held at St. Kilda Town Hall at 7.30pm, on February 23.
- reprinted from Victoria Herald Sun