 Rockliff must make commitment for Sorell Child and Family Centre
 Funding should be directed toward services, not sending younger children to school
A thriving Tasmanian community’s hopes for a new Child and Family Centre could face the axe as the Hodgman Government pushes ahead this week with its ill-advised and unwarranted move to lower the state’s school starting age.
Labor Member for Lyons Rebecca White said the community’s hopes were high in Sorell that the government would build the new centre but those expectations could come crashing down when the government’s attack on the Education Act comes to Parliament this week.
Ms White today met with families in the area who will lobby the Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff for the new centre at a central Sorell site.
Labor has already committed to build one of two new Child and Family Centres in the Sorell community as part of its Making Tasmania the Education State policy.
“Everyone agrees there needs to be greater investment in early-years learning but the government is making that investment in the wrong area by blindly pushing ahead with its plan to put very young children into schools,” Ms White said.
“That investment should be directed toward building Child and Family Centres which guide and support families and children in the critical early years up to five years of age.
“Child and Family Centres focus on the individual needs of the community and include the full experience for families and kids from pregnancy and parenting support to health checks to early childhood education.
“We understand the government has been exploring options for the Sorell area but there has been no firm commitment that a Child and Family Centre will be built once these misguided education reforms come into effect.
“The Education Minister must make that commitment.
“Instead of pushing ahead this week with these changes – particularly to the school starting age – Mr Rockliff should admit they are unnecessary, start listening to the experts and consulting with the community and invest critical education funding where it is needed most.”
Rebecca White MP Labor Member for Lyons