Lack of Out Of School Hours (OOSH) care places is causing additional stress for families across the Hunter as the new school year looms.
Due to the Baird Government failing on its promise to deliver more spaces, parents are being forced to reduce their work hours, with casual workers most at risk.
In 2015 Premier of NSW Mike Baird promised 45,000 new before and after school places by 2019 but currently, only 5,993 places have been created. Only 10% of the allocated funding for the sector has been spent.
There are around 6,000 children enrolled to start in the area's schools at the end of the month and only 396 placed in out of school hours accredited centres, according to data from MySchool and ACECQA.
Analysis by NSW Labor shows there is only one place for every 25 students in areas such as Raymond Terrace. Shadow Minster for Early Childhood Education Kate Washington said there is alternative in the family day care space but when those options are not available parents are relying on informal arrangements that are unregulated and risky.
The lack of spaces is particularly providing another challenge for women trying to enter back into the workforce. Ms Washington said that it is mothers that are primarily looking at what they can do to make sure their children are cared for. It is also common for mothers to undertake casual work, putting them further at risk of being affected by the lack of accredited care.
Ms Washington said "the grants offered by the government to create additional OOSH places, have been a complete failure. The Baird government must consult with the sector to facilitate the expansion of services or the creation of new services."
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