V1 - NDGE01Z01MA

b DOSOMETHING DAY: P13 b 32-PAGE REALESTATE MAGAZINEWEDNESDAY JUNE 28, 2017 NORTHERNDISTRICTTIMES.COM.AU

CHILD CARE COST FEAR

NOT-FOR-PROFIT operators of out-of-school-hours (OOSH) child-care fear they will be gobbled up by agiant commercial enterprise which charges parents 20 per cent more.

They are rallying oppositionagainst the proposed merger of pri-vate providers Camp Australia, which runs 742 centres across the country and Junior Adventures Group (JAG), whose OSHClub and Helping Hands operates at 400 schools.

Not-for-profit OOSH operatorssay traditional parent-run servicesare under threat as the mergedcommercial enterprise would ownabout a third of the entire national

market and limit parents’ choice inprice and care options.

School community-basedcentres fear the merged entity maybe able to entice the State Govern-ment into privatising its operationsby offering more money to schools.

OOSH operators charge parentsabout $34 a day to be able to droptheir children off at school at 7amand pick them up by 6pm on workdays.

Eligible families are able to re-cover half that cost from the Fed-eral Government’s ChildcareRebate and Childcare Benefit.

The surplus, after paying staffand costs, goes to the schools’ bankaccounts.›› To page 3

Community-based centres warn against merger of childcare giants

OOSH ‘TAKEOVER’

Hana shows her skill on new stage

Hana Chorley has many talents, on many stages. A skilled gymnast and public speaker,

she has taken up diving. » Full story page 5

Picture: Troy Snook

Steven Deare

CAROL KING’S ‘TAPESTRY’STARRING NIKKI DEE

Watch the talented Nikki Dee perform It’s Too Late, I Feel the Earth Move, You Make Me Feel Like a

Natural Woman, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, The Locomotion, I’m into Something Good,

You’ve Got A Friend and many more.

SAT 1 JULY, 8PM, TIX FROM $18 Conditions apply.

ert

WIN A CARMembership Renewal Car Draw

Join or renew from now

until 30 June & receive

3 entry tickets.

See club flyers for details. LTPS/17/13168