🚀 go-pugleaf

Annette <ntsoft@iinet.net.au> writes:

>Can anyone answer these questions, should the draft go through
>parliment?
>  (some background)
>Variable Child Care Usage
>  (worked out between Agency and Parent)
>-predictable but irregular care (amount predictable but days vary ie
>shift workers)
>- unpredictable regular care (eg casual workers)
>- unpredictable and irregular care (eg on-call workers)

>Question:  If families who cannot define a pattern of usage or predict
>their care needs for group payments will be paid reprospectively on
>production of receipts..... wont that put them at a disadvantage?

>I quote my own case.
>I work 3 nights a week, sole parent.
>One month its Fri/Sat/Sun the next its Sat/Sun/Mon.
>ok, so thats regular - but I need 2 child care centers - one for nights,
>and one for days. I still have to pay for the Tuesday day, even during
>the month I am not using it.

It seems to me you are in the wrong line of work for your circumstances.
Perhaps you should consider changing to something else. The hours you
mention are more suited to someone without the responsibility of raising
a child. Why you should expect me to fund your lifestyle choice when I
have enough trouble funding my own is really beyond me.

When I decide whether or not to take a job I take all sorts of factors
into consideration. The financial viability of the job is one of the
most important. Sometimes an interesting job has to be declined because
it just isn't viable. If my wife worked for renumeration we would have
more material goods but when balanced against the impact on our family
life, it isn't viable. Its a tough choice to turn down interesting work,
or more money, but sometimes its necessary.

Of course I could say "to hell with viability, its my RIGHT to take
on work I find interesting. Its our RIGHT to dual incomes. Let society
pick up the tab for any costs involved my lifestyle choice. Many people
take this attitude but my conscience won't let me.

>What all this means to me, is an increase of in excess of $60 per week,
>without any additional income to show for it, and the hassle of getting
>my rebate paid retrospectively should I work 1 or more hours extra.
>I also have the hassle of trying to explain my hours of work to every
>person I speak to.

Oh dear, how sad.
From time to time my wife has had to work for renumeration to meet
expenses. During such time she is a Family Day Care worker, operating
from our home. Some of her clients were nurses who had exactly the
sorts of work patterns you mention. She used to match up schedules
so that her time was filled despite irregular usage patterns by her
clients. She did not charge for missing days if there was a regular 
schedule. Your predicament is obviously a local thing, something your
federal MP will be unable to assist you with.

>I have contacted my local Federal minister and will fax him the details
>tomorrow.  Does anyone else have any useful comments?

>oh, and I also heard that before & after hours school care rebates are
>about to drop?  Anyone know about this?

First I've heard of it. It wasn't an ACTU affiliated unionist who told
you this story, was it ?

>All changes to income, holidays, etc etc will now have to be reported to
>the Agency by the parent, and not the Family Day Care Scheme or Long Day
>Care Center - expect sales of panadol will increase :)

Among whom ?
I'm sure the FDC workers will be overjoyed at you taking responsibility
for your own reporting. After all why is it their concern, its YOU who
is really responsible for reporting changes. Having the people responsible
take the action introduces a quaint little concept called accountability.
You stuff up, you miss out on a benefit. 

The biggest gripe people have about changes to childcare funding is the
way it has been capped at 50 hours per week per child. The whingers
don't mention that the standard working week is 40 hours though.

It all boils down to people expecting others to fund their lifestyle
choices. If you want to have kids, be prepared to either look after
them or pay someone else to do it. I pay for my own childcare, why
should I pay for yours too ?

David Moss,
personal opinion only.
http://www.adfa.oz.au/~adm/politics for Australian Politics resources.