Childcare centres could raise their prices by as much as $5 a day as of January 1, when centres are forced to put on extra staff to meet the latest changes to the National Quality Framework.
The Australian Childcare Alliance is predicting the hike could rise as much as $5 a day as centres in Queensland, Victoria, the ACT, New South Wales, South Australia and the Northern Territory are required to meet new educator-to-child ratios.
However, Gwynn Bridge, the President of the ACA said fee increases will vary.
“Services are doing their best to remain affordable for families as the government continues to pursue its agenda of increased regulation without consideration on the impact of families’ hip-pockets,” Ms Bridge told The Daily Telegraph.
“This is coming at a time when parent’s subsidies have not increased, but have decreased with freezes, and they have to wait until 2017 for any relief.”
