By NOEL MURPHY
GEELONG’s federal MPs have clashed over claims fees will rise for family day care and that local centres face closure.
Corio’s Richard Marles claimed yesterday 80 per cent of services would lose funding next year as a result of $157 million in federal cuts to family day care.
“Hundreds of local families” faced big fee hikes or service closures, the Labor MP said.
Shadow early childhood minister Kate Ellis backed him, arguing Prime Minister Tony Abbott had promised to make child care more affordable but was “doing the exact opposite”.
“These cuts mean family day care services will be forced to increase fees or cut services at a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, or find flexible care that fits parent’s work patterns,” she said.
But Corangamite Liberal MP Sarah Henderson rejected the claims.
“In fact, parents using approved family day care continue to receive child care benefit at a rate 33.3 per cent higher than other types of child care,” she said.
Ms Henrson accused Labor of engineering a $200 million blowout in the cost of a program funding family child care.
“Labor’s clearly worried families are blaming them for child care fees skyrocketing 53 per cent during their six years in government.”
