Child care struggling to survive

Cribb Street Child Care director Kylie Edwards with Shaun Wilkins and Thomas Robertson. Photo: Sarah Harvey FE2410HC

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TUCKED away in a quiet street in a suburb that seems to be losing its young families, the community-run Cribb Street Child Care Centre is struggling to survive.

In a major turnaround from five years ago, when the Sadliers Crossing centre and other Ipswich child care facilities were bursting at the seams, Cribb Street reported an enrolment of just over 50 per cent.

Director Kylie Edwards said the centre was very busy when she started work there in 2004.

“We’ve had parents who’ve had to move to Brisbane to work,” she said.

“There’s a lot of the older generation around this area.

“Not many people know that we’re down here.

“A lot of people don’t realise we do pre-prep.”

The not-for-profit centre is run by a parents’ committee.

Its president Leonie Wilkins has left the care of both her children to Cribb Street centre.

“It’s the atmosphere, it’s very homely. I really like the feel of it,” she said.

“The cost is comparable with other centres, and the staff absolutely love the children.”

Creche and Kindergarten Association of Queensland chief executive officer Barrie Elvish said community not-for-profit child care services were generally the preferred choice of informed parents, so the downturn at Cribb Street Child Care was unusual.

“I am not aware of this particular centre but theoretically the situation in Ipswich should not have changed so radically in such a short time,” he said.

“In fact the collapse of ABC (child care centres) led many previous customers of theirs to seek out alternative providers so this should have assisted non-ABC centres in the Ipswich area.

“As always there is over-supply in some areas and under-supply in others.

“Many private operators established services where land is cheap and, because there is no regulation or planning around where centres can be established, some are very oversupplied.

“This is not usually the case in older areas but more common in new housing estates.”