Kindys concerned over changes | Ipswich News | Local News in Ipswich

PARENTS of children in Ipswich community kindergartens will be asked to bombard local politicians with letters asking them to ensure kindys won't be affected by upcoming funding changes.

Directors and committee members from several Ipswich C & K-affiliated kindys met on Thursday night to discuss ways they can survive the changes, which start in 2012.

Frances O'Sullivan, president of the Ipswich Kindergarten Committee, said the centres were concerned about their futures once a State Government subsidy for three-year-olds changes.

“We want to let our parents know what is really happening – what the changes will be and how it will affect them,” she said.

“Following that, we will be encouraging parents to write letters to their local politicians, on both sides, to stress how important this issue is for them.

“Children are our priority and we will keep this issue going until we can guarantee no child will be disadvantaged in any way.”

She said following The Queensland Times story on the meeting and the kindy funding issue this Thursday, more parents and community members had become aware of the issue.

The group of local kindys will again have a closed meeting on August 26, but are trying to broker a public meeting with State and Federal MPs for September.

A similar group in Brisbane has also started meeting to oppose the changes in funding.

The proposed changes will not affect long-stay daycare centres, (whose costs to parents are helped by the Federal Government's rebate system,), but the small centres operating between 9am and 3pm.

These kindys are either run by C & K Pre-schooling Professionals, a not-for-profit group, or are affiliated to that group but run by parent committees.

C & K distributes the state government's current subsidy, an arrangement where they pay 80 per cent of a teacher and teacher aide's yearly salary if they teach eligible kindergarten students.

The remaining 20 per cent and other fees were passed on to parents or addressed with fundraising.

Late last year the State Government announced this would soon change – for the first time both C & K affiliates and long day care centres will receive $1200 a child to cover teacher costs.

Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson said this would be beneficial to parents because long day care centres would offer kindergarten courses for the first time.

But community kindys fear the new arrangement would disadvantage community kindys who would have to pass on extra costs on to parents.

Meanwhile, a vacant childcare centre in Raceview was recently sold for $1.16 million, after attracting six bids for the site.

According to agents Michael Walsh and Sam Hatcher, the centre was an attractive site for bidders because of its Thornton Street location and recent $300,000 makeover.

The agents said the centre had a license for 74 long stay daycare places.