Moorabool council has joined in calls for the federal government to continue funding four-year-old kindergarten places amid concerns children could lose up to five hours per week of funded kinder.
The government is reviewing its National Partnership Agreement, which has allocated $100 million to fund Victorian kindergartens.
If the agreement is terminated, families could face paying up to $2000 extra a year per child, even after childcare subsidies, according to the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV). That would happen, it said, unless the funding shortfall was picked up by state or local government.
A spokesman for federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the government was committed to funding early education, but reviewing the agreement was necessary to ensure taxpayers got value for money.
Moorabool council is backing a petition, launched by the state government, that calls on the federal government to stop “playing politics” with kindergartens.
“If the federal government ends its kinder funding agreement with Victoria and the rest of Australia in December, 2017, our kids could lose five hours of funded kinder a week at a vital stage of their development,” the council’s chief executive, Rob Croxford, said.
“Without continued government investment for the additional five hours of preschool, we risk poorer learning outcomes for Victorian children and lower kinder participation rates.”
But in a statement, Mr Birmingham slammed the unions and state government for “scaring” families with lies about school and kindergarten funding. He said future funding arrangements would be discussed with state and territory governments in coming months.
“[The state government’s] claims are not true and the Turnbull government is committed to ensuring all children have access to quality early learning and care,” Mr Birmingham said.
“Parents and providers should ignore these scare campaigns as we’re committed to working through these issues.”
MAV interim president Coral Ross said losing five hours of funded kinder a week would hurt vulnerable families the most. She said it was only fair that the federal government contributed its share in something “so important to our children’s future”.
As part of the current arrangements, state government provides funding for 10 hours to meet the national target of providing 15 hours of kinder a week for four-year-olds, while parents and councils help fund the shortfall.
