The Greens will tomorrow move in the Senate for the Federal Government to hold an emergency summit on the ABC Learning collapse, as a first step towards reforming childcare in Australia.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young will move for the summit following the corporate collapse of ABC Learning last Thursday, and the Government’s announcement on Friday of a $22 million prop-up of the company to keep ABC centres open until December 31.

"It is up to the Government to recognise that it must call the service providers, childcare sector experts, local government, parents and community groups together to discuss how to end this crisis affecting more than a quarter of Australia's childcare," said Senator Hanson-Young. “For too long profiteers and shareholders have been dictating how childcare, an essential community service, is delivered in Australia. 

“We need to open up the lines of communication and learn from those who are caring for children, speaking to parents, and running these centres every day to determine how best to stabilise and improve Australian childcare.

“The expertise and experience of those in the sector should be included in planning the direction childcare in Australia needs to take after this crisis.”

Senator Hanson-Young said the Government’s response to the ABC Learning collapse had so far been inadequate.

“A $22 million interim prop-up for this company to keep its centres open until December 31 does not constitute an adequate contingency plan,” she said.

“It’s a company to which Australian taxpayers have already contributed significantly through government subsidies.

“Clearly the status quo in Australian childcare is not working. We need a re-think and this summit is the first step towards that.”

Senator Hanson-Young flagged several issues that the emergency summit could look at, including: 
* Getting the views of service providers, community and parent groups on the best course of action to overcome the childcare crisis* Ensuring continuity of childcare for more than 1000 ABC Learning Centres in Australia beyond January 1, 2009
* Examining the viability of current ABC Learning Centres to be operated as not-for-profit
* Investigating how to make available start-up grants for parents and community groups to establish not-for-profit childcare centres, or to take over the running of existing centres
* Protecting childcare workers’ entitlements, should these be threatened by ABC Learning’s collapse.

“This crisis represents an opportunity for childcare in Australia to transform from a market-driven industry to a vital community service and a government-supported first step in lifelong learning,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

"The emergency summit on childcare is the first step towards that transformation."

Media contact: Gemma Clark on 0427 604 760