Changes to Family Day Care Service to ensure future sustainability

Published on 21 May 2018

Mildura Rural City Council is proposing changes to its Family Day Care fees which would bring the service into line with other local government areas and ensure it is sustainable into the future.

Under the proposed changes, which have come out of a comprehensive service review, Council’s Family Day Care Administration Levy will increase from 50 cents per hour to $1 from July this year.

This is still significantly lower than the average administration fee of $1.50 charged by eight local government areas Mildura was benchmarked against as part of the review.

The fee will increase incrementally over the next four years to $1.90 by 2021/2022.

Council’s General Manager Community Martin Hawson said that in most cases Family Day Care recipients would be able to offset the majority, if not all of the increases, through Child Care Subsidy claims.

Mr Hawson said the end result would ensure that for many parents who utilise Council’s Family Day Care service the impact would be minimal, or non-existent.

“No one likes to see increases in fees, however we needed to make this decision to ensure that we can continue to provide for the more than 410 babies and children that benefit from this service every year,” he said.

“We have a responsibility to strike the balance between providing the high quality service our community deserves, and ensuring it’s affordable and sustainable into the future, which is what I believe we’ll achieve with these changes.”

Council’s Family Day Care Service provides care to children throughout the municipality, including across the border into the Wentworth Shire, taking in Mildura, Merbein, Irymple, Red Cliffs, Gol Gol, Cardross, Iraak and Birdwoodton.

“Our Family Day Care Service fills a vital role, providing child care services in areas that don’t have child care options,” Mr Hawson said.

“If we’re to continue providing this vital, high standard of service, we need to make changes that will guarantee its future, all the while ensuring minimal impact on residents.”

Councillors will consider the changes at this month’s Ordinary Council Meeting.

Media enquiries 
Ben Piscioneri
p) (03) 5018 8689 
e) ben.piscioneri@mildura.vic.gov.au