1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:01,200 Speaker 1: The ever dup c. 2 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 2: Len fresh warnings that your childcare bill could be heading 3 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 2: up yet again. The average cost has apparently jumped from 4 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 2: just twenty five dollars a week in two thousand and 5 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 2: seven to ninety dollars a week in twenty twenty three, 6 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 2: and the Early Childhood Council says that there's more pressure 7 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 2: building because four hundred and forty three centers have shut 8 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: their doors nationwide in just the last three years. The 9 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 2: CEO of the Council of Simon lab high Simon, who 10 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 2: pays ninety dollars a week, surely everyone pays more than 11 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 2: ninety dollars a week. 12 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: Well, it really does depend. You can still find some 13 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: services that are free, so it is pretty variable. But 14 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:39,639 Speaker 1: the people who are paying childcare fees, they know who 15 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: they are and it is very expensive and they can 16 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: definitely vouch for the fact that the fees are increasing. 17 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, But I mean genuinely, are there free childcare 18 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 2: services and who are they? 19 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: Well? There are there are communities around New Zealand where 20 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: the families just can't afford to pay anything. So are 21 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: there are services available or you know, everywhere? But it's 22 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: quite a different service, you know, because if you've got 23 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: the money and you can afford to pay the fees, 24 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: then chances are you're working and you need additional hours 25 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: to cover the days that you're working. So you're actually 26 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,960 Speaker 1: using more childcare if you're working. But if you're not working, 27 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 1: you know, you're probably using less indust relying on what 28 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: the government. 29 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 2: So if you were a working parent, which is I'm 30 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 2: thinking really the most realistic way of looking at what 31 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,559 Speaker 2: it costs people. Surely the cheapest that you'd get away 32 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: with in twenty twenty six is about one hundred and 33 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: fifty dollars a week if you're going to kindy, isn't it. 34 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, that sounds about right. 35 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's absolutely cheapest, isn't it. 36 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: That would be more like the average I'd say, yeah. 37 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: Okay, Now, why is it that you've got so many 38 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: of these centers shutting down? 39 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: Well, we've got rising costs basically, so we've got this 40 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: pay parity scheme that's driving up the cost of teacher salaries, 41 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: but the funding from the government doesn't follow suit. So 42 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,559 Speaker 1: as the salaries increase, you know, the providers are paying 43 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: more and more to pay the teachers, but the funding 44 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: stays the same. So eventually what that does is it 45 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: puts the pressure on the providers to either increase the 46 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: fees that parents pay or to close their doors. 47 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 2: Is I thought that the paid parity for the ecees 48 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 2: had been scrapped. 49 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: No, it's still there. Yeah, and nobody would really want 50 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: to lose that. Nobody wants the teacher wages to go 51 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: backwards because then we just lose our teachers. We need 52 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 1: the teachers, we need to be able to pay them, 53 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: but we are not actually able to pay them. And 54 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: so that's the number one reason why parents are getting 55 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: those fee increases. 56 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: So is it pay parity with primary teachers? 57 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 1: Is it? Well, it's not really pay parity at all. 58 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: But that's the name of the scheme, that's the label 59 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: on the jar. But it doesn't give you parity with 60 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: what the primary teachers can. 61 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 2: Okay, So if the thing that's called pay parity is 62 00:02:58,200 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 2: not really pay parity, what is it. 63 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: That's what it's called, that's its name. It brings you 64 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: closer to what kindergarten teachers would be paid, but it's 65 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: less than what they're paid, So it's not really pay parity. 66 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: It didn't It wasn't pay parity back in twenty twenty three, 67 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: So that's not a new thing. 68 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: Okay. So if these centers are shutting down because they 69 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 2: can't they can't recover their costs at what they're charging, 70 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 2: what is a more realistic rate that that parents would 71 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 2: have to pay. 72 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: Well, what we are seeing is that parents are at 73 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: the point where they just can't pay anymore. That's that's 74 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: what we're hearing from providers. If they put up their fees, 75 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: they're worried they'll lose more enrollments. Then they'll make up 76 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: in the additional fees. So you know, parents are hurting. 77 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: We would vouch for that, and everybody knows how expensive 78 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: it is with a young family. So really, you know, 79 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: it's up to the government to try and put more 80 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: money in to meet some of these costs. Otherwise, you know, 81 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: they just can't afford to pay. That's what that's that's 82 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 1: our reality, that's what we see. 83 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 2: Okay, Simon, Thanks very much appreciated. Simon Lorde Early Childhood Counseled. 84 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. 85 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: Listen live to news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, 86 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.