Today in 1989, The Canberra Times was reporting that private childcare was more expensive in the ACT than anywhere else in Australia.
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The reports by Australian Bureau of Statistics collected in November of the previous year, focused on 608 licensed centres providing long-day childcare for more than 48 weeks of the year. It looked at fees, operating costs, staff numbers and children attending.
The average fee per week of full time care in Australia was $74 ($161) with the ACT highest at $92 ($201) per week and Queensland the lowest at $63 ($137).
Also reported were hours of attendance at these centres, with the ACT again taking the highest record with children spending around 35 hours per week in care compared with the national average of 21 hours.
Most children in care were in families where both parents worked, with a combined average income of $40,100 ($87,600)
Further statistics showed the average income of centres sitting at $96,500 (over $210,000), only marginally higher than the operating costs.
Generally the study showed that childcare was well used with 84% of places filled and centres were open an average of 52 hours per week.
