With childcare already a major election issue for many working families with young children, the ACTU and childcare unions LHMU and ASU are co-ordinating a national Phone-In to highlight Australia’s childcare crisis.

ACTU President Sharan Burrow said today:

“There are up to three million working Australians who are parents of young children and there are nearly 800,000 children in childcare.

Unions have been receiving an increasing number of reports that there are significant and growing problems with childcare in Australia.

Parents are telling us that they face impossibly long waiting lists, sky-rocketing costs, and that the quality of their children’s care is being compromised by rundown facilities and high staff turnover.

Childcare workers are telling us that they cannot live on the wages they are paid and are leaving the industry because career prospects are so limited.

We want concerned parents to help us put more affordable, accessible, quality childcare on the election agenda.

Parents and childcare workers are invited to call the Childcare Phone-In (Ph 1300 362 223 – local call cost only) and tell us if they have an issue about childcare.

The ACTU will collate the results and inform the Minister and major political parties.”

MEDIA ALERT

Childcare Phone-in

Launch and Media Conference

10.30am Monday 6 September

Curzon St Childcare Centre – 51 Curzon St North Melbourne

Phone-In Hotline – 1300 362 223 (local call cost only)