Publication:Sea Talk Spring 2004/Towards better child care arrangements
What is the Defence Childcare Program?
The Defence Childcare Program helps Defence Force members and their families access child care by providing 19 Long Day Care Centres and four Outside School Hours care facilities around Australia.
The program also provides access to childcare places through selected Family Day Care schemes. Defence's Long Day Care centres and Outside School Hours Care facilities are managed by KU Children's Services under a contract that will expire on 30 June 2005.
What is Happening in the Child Care Program? The Defence People Committee recently approved a procurement process that will seek proposals from the child care industry to:
- Manage Defence Child Care Centres and Out of School Hours facilities; and
- Provide sufficient priority placement in high quality child care to meet the needs of Defence families, as and when required and close to Defence establishments.
Project Team A Project Team consisting of representatives from the Defence Child Care Program (DCO), Navy, Army, Air Force, the Australian Public Service, Corporate Support, Chief Finance Office and Defence Families of Australia has been formed to oversee this process.
The procurement process will follow Defence and Government requirements to ensure that a fair and transparent process is used to attain an equitable outcome for all.The first stage of this process, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was released nationally on August 28.
As part of this process, respondents to the RFP will inspect the Defence Childcare Centres and Out of School Hours facilities during business hours.
These inspections will occur only once and will be subject to close scrutiny and control. Families who have children in these centres or facilities will be advised of the inspection time and date for their centre.
The Future The Defence Child Care Program and Project Team will keep you informed with regular updates and developments in the program by providing regular articles such as this and letters to parents with children in Defence Childcare Centres and Outside School Hours facilities.
Do You Have More Questions? More information may be available by contacting the Manager Defence Childcare Program on (02) 6266 8413.
