Macklin Wrong on Child Care Costs on Central Coast and Hunter

“Jenny Macklin is deliberately misleading the people of the Central Coast and Hunter with her claims about child care costs in the local area,” Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough, said today.

“For a start, Ms Macklin’s claim that a family on $67,000 is paying up to $187 out of its own pocket for one child in full-time child care is just not true.

“Ms Macklin is ignoring Child Care Tax Rebate, which covers up to 30 per cent of out of pocket expenses to a maximum of over $4,000 per child per year. The footnote in her media statement even admits that the calculation is only based on Child Care Benefit and therefore does not include CCTR.

“Based on Ms Macklin’s scenarios, a family earning $67,000 with one child in full time care would receive $2,800 in Child Care Tax Rebate, taking weekly out of pocket costs to $130 per week – or $2.60 an hour.

“The Newcastle example of a family on $61,000 would receive $2325 in Child Care Tax Rebate, taking weekly out of pocket expenses down to $108, or $2.17 per hour.

“And as Ms Macklin knows – or should know – only 7 per cent of families use full time child care.

“Ms Macklin needs to stop peddling misinformation to parents for her own political gain. The only thing she achieves is to discourage parents who may need child care from seeking it.

“Anyone, including Ms Macklin, wanting factual information of child care vacancies in a particular area, can contact the Child Care Access Hotline on 1800 670 305.”