Innovative child care for Dubbo families

Parkes MP John Cobb brought Children and Youth Affairs Minister Larry Anthony to the Allira Multifunctional Aboriginal Child Care Centre to see first hand the work that they do.

“It is important that innovative child care options are available for families, which is why multifunctional centres like this have been designed to meet their individual needs.

“This centre receives more than $379,000 annually in funding from the Coalition Government and can cater for up to 40 children. There are 37 Multifunctional Aboriginal Child Care Services nationally with 12 services throughout NSW,” Mr Anthony said.

Member for Parkes, John Cobb said the centre provides specialised services including a mobile bus to transport children to and from care, health programs and immunisation services.

“An early childhood clinic operating one day a week has been established to offer Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal families immunisation and general health and developmental checks.

“It is so important that our children receive regular health checks so that potential problems with hearing and vision can be detected,” Mr Cobb said.

Mr Anthony said the Allira Multifunctional Aboriginal Child Care Centre was vital for ensuring quality child care and responding to the special cultural needs of Indigenous children and families.

“This centre is a fine example of the Coalition Government’s focus on providing families in rural and regional areas with quality child care options

“The Coalition has a great record on child care. We have committed a record $6.7 billion for the next four years. There are currently record numbers of children using formal child care because we have made it affordable and accessible,” Mr Anthony said.

For more information on child care families can call the Commonwealth Governments Child Care Access Hotline on 1800 670 305.