The Mornington Peninsula Shire decided to transition out of providing Family Day Care services on the Mornington Peninsula.  A service that is very much needed for families and children.  

The report came to a Council Meeting on 23rd March, ,2021 as a confidential item so therefore I am not permitted to disclose any details of the report.

But what I will say is that I did not vote to support this decision because I believed;

1. It was not the right time to transition out of Family Day Care Services in particular this year coming out of Covid year 2020;  
2. It went against the Shire's Council Plan Strategic Objectives 3. Children feel valued and are supported & 5. Families and parents feel valued and are supported
3. Families could face paying more by going to a private provider
4. Continuity of Educator for the children could be compromised
5. There was no valid reason in the rerport that I could support the transition at this point in time.

The Shire's Media Release:

Family Day Care transition - Shire Media Release Published on 01 April 2021

Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has decided to transition out of providing Family Day Care on the Mornington Peninsula and in the Frankston area.

Over the past five years we have seen a steady decline in the service, which coincides with the increase in the number of alternate Family Day Care providers in the market.

We are confident these services will provide a varied choice for all educators when selecting a new provider to transfer to with little to no disruption to them or the families and the children they care for.

All our educators and families have been notified and we are committed to supporting each educator to find a preferred provider to ensure a smooth transition for themselves and their families over a period of 12 weeks.

We know the relationship between educators and the families and children they care for is important and want to clarify this will remain the same. Children will continue to be cared for by the same educator in the same home. Families will not need to find alternative care.

The only change will be the administration of the program, with the family day care educators moving to an alternative family day care provider. All alternative service providers must meet the same standards, compliance and safety requirements as any childcare provider, including the National Quality Framework and the National Law.

We are currently working on redeployment options for our two Children Services Officers roles which are directly impacted