Preschool mourns latest funding cut | Northern Rivers Education | Primary and Tertiary Education in Northern Rivers

Saffron Howden | 2nd July 2009

FUNDING LOSS: Parents, staff and children at The Channon Children’s Centre, including the Mackenzie family – dad Derek, Milaya, one, Bodhi, four, and mum Tamlin.

Cathy Adams

PARENTS at The Channon preschool gathered in funereal black yesterday to mourn the passing of quality childcare.

The Channon Children's Centre started operating four days a week in 1979, and in 1992 accommodated funding cuts by opening just three days a week.

But by the end of this month, the centre will only be able to accept children on Tuesdays and Thursdays, because its funding from the NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS) will only stretch across two days a week.

For Tamlin Mackenzie, who sits on the centre's co-ordinating committee and went to the preschool herself when she was little, the loss of a day a week is devastating.

“Lots of them (families) will have to look elsewhere for childcare,” she said.

“Some of our families are already enrolling in other preschools.

“I went here. This was my preschool.

“Our parents started it - it's a lot more than a preschool.”

Ms Mackenzie's one-year-old daughter, Milaya, was due to attend the preschool next year, but under the new schedule priority will be given to children nearing school age.

The next closest centres for families at The Channon are at Dunoon and Lismore.

However, NSW Community Services Minister Linda Burney said there had been no decrease in funding for the centre.

“There is a funding review process in place for services that received no increase in preschool funding in 2008/2009 under the new model,” Ms Burney told The Northern Star. “I would encourage The Channon to consider requesting such a review.”

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