Parents assured before and after-school care exists, while hours cut elsewhere

Corangamite Shire community services manager Katie Hearn said the service, which used to run five days a week, has been reduced to two days.

"Our after-school care service in Terang has been temporarily suspended on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday while we continue to recruit staff," she said. "Specific requirements and ratios need to be met in order to deliver services.

"We are experiencing a shortage of educators, particularly diploma qualified staff who are available to work 'til 6:30pm," Ms Hearn said.

She said two educators run the program at Terang Children's Centre where 14 children were enrolled for after-school care across the week. Numbers vary on any given day.

Ms Hearn said Family Day Care also provided before and after-school care services.

Warrnambool Their Care has assured residents there is before and after- school care programs in the region and it has places available.

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Area manager Mel Healey said the program started in Warrnambool two years ago as a result of working parents needing childcare.

She contacted The Standard to raise awareness following an article this week where a Warrnambool mother said the city was failing to support working women with its lack of before school care.

Warrnambool Their Care has over 300 families who access its 12 services weekly in Warrnambool and the Moyne Shire.

"The children are given breakfast or afternoon tea depending on what session they're there for," Ms Healey said.

"They're able to have fun and the parents don't need to worry. If they need assistance getting them ready for school we can offer that as well."

A holiday program and pupil-free day care options are also available.

"Families are able to access care and go to work when they need to in the morning. Some of our services open from 6.30am or 7am and then we're open until 6pm at night," Ms Healey said.

"We offer full day care for pupil free days for those working families that still need that care when their children have a pupil free day at school they can still access that."

She said students who wanted to attend before or after-school sessions at schools they did not attend were able to if they could get to the school by car or public transport.

"We also offer services to other schools. We currently have a few children from Merri River School who come to us on a bus or go from us on a bus to the school. It's very dependent on each family's circumstances.

"We can definitely try and work out something so they're able to attend," Ms Healey said.

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