Five childcare centres in Queanbeyan will share in $226,000 in federal government funding for professional development, after individual centre offers were made on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The funds are part of a Coalition government program that redirected funds from the previous Labor government's wage increase scheme into training for workers, so childcare centres meet the requirements of the new National Quality Framework.
The funding will have long day care and childcare workers in 5000 centres nationwide undergo training and upskilling programs, according to a spokesman for the NSW Member for Eden-Monaro Dr Peter Hendy, who announced the allocation of the funding.
Kindy Patch Cuddly Bear will recieve $51,271, Crestwood World of Learning $52,269, Crest Road Early Learning $54,606, Campbell Street Early Learning will get $31,424, and KU Queanbeyan South $37,055, according to the spokesman.
"I am delighted our local child care operators have embraced this programme.
"We want to help as many long day care services as possible deliver high-quality education and care for local families by ensuring they can afford to train and educate staff up to the new national childcare standards," Dr Hendy said.
The funding will be available to centres from now until June 2017. .
Christine Legg, chief executive of Kindergarten Union Children's Services, which operates KU Queanbeyan South, said it submitted a combined application for the program for all its centres throughout Australia.
"We thought [the previous Labor government policy, the Early Years Quality Fund] was an unfair policy. This one is much fairer and goes to all childcare centres, it goes to professional learning and we are very supportive of that, " Ms Legg said.
She said the KU was already planning professional development programs for its staff and "it will all be very individual" to suit each worker.
"For us as an organisation, it is a welcome development," Ms Legg said.