Additional funding to expand outside school hours care and deliver greater flexibility and quality for families is a crucial step in providing women with the flexibility and support they need to balance their work and caring demands, according to the Women’s Electoral Lobby.

Women’s Electoral Lobby National Chair Melanie Fernandez said it was good to see the Government responding to the needs of working parents and calls from WEL and other women’s groups, by expanding and appropriately funding a good network of Out of School Hours Care services.

“Access, quality and affordability of children’s services are a key issue for women across Australia.

“An expansion of Out of School Hours Care services will assist with improving women’s workforce participation and career opportunities. We know that women’s career opportunities are hampered by a lack of access to flexible and appropriate care for school age children.”

Ms Fernandez said there are still major unsolved issues for children’s services.

“Access to children’s services, inadequate wages for both certificate and bachelor trained educators, the market-model of funding used, and the funding format for Government rebate remain huge problems.

“These problems must be address to ensure Australia is providing all families with fair and reasonable access to children’s services.

“We need to drastically improve children’s services. This isn’t just about early childhood; it’s also about parents having access to out of school hours care,” said Ms Fernandez.