1,000 signatures reached
To: Darebin Council
SAVE OUR COMMUNITY KINDERS AND CHILDCARES FROM DAREBIN'S SHORT TERM LEASES, RENT AND FEE HIKES
Early learning centres and kindergartens are crucial pillars of our community. They are safe and inclusive environments that allow our kids to grow, learn and flourish.
In Darebin, we have a strong network of 18 not-for-profit childcares and kindergartens run by hardworking volunteer parent committees.
They’ve been around for decades, nurturing our kids and setting the standard for best practice early education in our suburbs.
But right now, their future is at risk.
Darebin Council recently voted to cut centre leases down to a mere two years. And if that wasn't enough, they want to burden them with additional rates, taxes, utility, and maintenance costs.
This has left the entire network in a state of extreme uncertainty – and as we’ve seen in other parts of Melbourne, moves like this have rapidly led to closures and privatisation.
Reduced tenures and rising costs create a precarious situation where centres struggle to retain staff, offer certainty to families, strategically plan or access grant funding.
Families deserve security in where their kids will learn. Early educators deserve security in their employment. And centres deserve security in their funding and planning.
Help us to fight this backwards thinking by signing this petition to protect our community kinders and childcare centres from short term leases, rent and fee hikes!
In Darebin, we have a strong network of 18 not-for-profit childcares and kindergartens run by hardworking volunteer parent committees.
They’ve been around for decades, nurturing our kids and setting the standard for best practice early education in our suburbs.
But right now, their future is at risk.
Darebin Council recently voted to cut centre leases down to a mere two years. And if that wasn't enough, they want to burden them with additional rates, taxes, utility, and maintenance costs.
This has left the entire network in a state of extreme uncertainty – and as we’ve seen in other parts of Melbourne, moves like this have rapidly led to closures and privatisation.
Reduced tenures and rising costs create a precarious situation where centres struggle to retain staff, offer certainty to families, strategically plan or access grant funding.
Families deserve security in where their kids will learn. Early educators deserve security in their employment. And centres deserve security in their funding and planning.
Help us to fight this backwards thinking by signing this petition to protect our community kinders and childcare centres from short term leases, rent and fee hikes!
Why is this important?
On 23 October 2023 the Darebin Council passed a motion to reduce the lease durations of community early learning centres to two years – with option to extend for another three years under a new leasing policy which they are developing.
Darebin Council has tried to downplay the change – but the new leasing policy is foreshadowed to include making centres responsible for additional rates, taxes, utility and maintenance costs.
It’s disgraceful that at a time when the state and federal government are making big investments into free kinder and cheaper childcare, Darebin Council wants to pull funding out of the sector to help its bottom line.
Dozens of community members turned up in support of our early childhood centres to plead with Council not to take this step, and instead provide centres the certainty of 5-year leases on their current terms.
Unfortunately, most Councillors voted to ignore our centres, staff and families.
Soon Darebin Council will start a Community Consultation process which will determine the terms of early learning centre leases beyond two years, and the future viability of this sector.
It’s vital that we send a strong message to Darebin Council that our community values not-for-profit early education and care – and we stand against short lease terms, rent and fee hikes that puts them in jeopardy.
Right now our community is reeling from this decision. But with community support we still have a chance to change Darebin Council’s mind before it’s too late.
We call on council to continue having a minimum of five year leases with these 18 community run child care centres and kindergartens under the current conditions with no added fees.
Darebin Council has tried to downplay the change – but the new leasing policy is foreshadowed to include making centres responsible for additional rates, taxes, utility and maintenance costs.
It’s disgraceful that at a time when the state and federal government are making big investments into free kinder and cheaper childcare, Darebin Council wants to pull funding out of the sector to help its bottom line.
Dozens of community members turned up in support of our early childhood centres to plead with Council not to take this step, and instead provide centres the certainty of 5-year leases on their current terms.
Unfortunately, most Councillors voted to ignore our centres, staff and families.
Soon Darebin Council will start a Community Consultation process which will determine the terms of early learning centre leases beyond two years, and the future viability of this sector.
It’s vital that we send a strong message to Darebin Council that our community values not-for-profit early education and care – and we stand against short lease terms, rent and fee hikes that puts them in jeopardy.
Right now our community is reeling from this decision. But with community support we still have a chance to change Darebin Council’s mind before it’s too late.
We call on council to continue having a minimum of five year leases with these 18 community run child care centres and kindergartens under the current conditions with no added fees.