• Climate change
• Child care and preschool
• Education
• Health
• Industrial relations

Issues - Child care and preschool

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Child care is also a major priority issue in the Chisholm electorate.

It is expensive bringing up kids, especially when you are on a limited budget.  I have received numerous emails and phone calls from parents who cannot get their kids into a childcare centre because there are not enough places or they just cannot afford child care.  For parents with impending return-to-work dates fast approaching, this is particularly stressful.

In response to these problems, the Rudd government has raised the childcare tax rebate from 30 per cent to 50 per cent.  This will ensure that, in addition to any childcare benefit payment, half of a family’s total out-of-pocket childcare costs will be met every year.  Labor has also made applying for and getting this payment much easier.  In addition, the cap on the maximum out-of-pocket expenses claimable each year will rise from $4,354 to $7,500, and 50 per cent of the childcare tax rebate will be paid every three months instead of just once a year.

This initiative will be greatly appreciated by many families in Chisholm as providing welcome relief to the family budget.

As part of the Education Revolution, Labor will also invest $534 million over four years to provide universal access to preschool years for 15 hours a week, 40 weeks annually, by 2013 - a terrific initiative.

We are investing record levels in early childhood education and child care - $16 billion over the next four years – more than double that of the last four years of the Howard Government.  This funding is directly benefiting Australian families and their children.