THE Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre in Frankston will permanently shut down its childcare service this month. The final day of operation for the childcare program will be Friday, 20 December. Six Peninsula Leisure staff members will be impacted by the move.
Peninsula Leisure’s CEO Kath Thom said that less than two percent of PARC’s members used the service, leaving it unsustainable. “PARC can no longer sustain the growing level of subsidy required per child, per visit to remain open,” she said.
“The decision to close the childcare service has not been an easy one, it has weighed on us because we recognise the importance this service plays in members and staff’s lives. Since the announcement, we have heard from some affected members about how much this service means to them,” Thom said. “Sadly, the service has become unsustainable for PARC to continue and has been a difficult realisation that we cannot continue to subsidise the service in the current operating environment. The PARC team and I feel deeply for the families who this affects the most. “We are taking the time to prioritise support to our childcare team, members and families as we move through this transition.”
In a statement on its website, PARC said that declining popularity after the COVID-19 pandemic and the state government’s free kinder program were key reasons behind the decision. “The popularity of the childcare service has ebbed and flowed over the past 10 years, and the service has faced additional challenges in the post-pandemic environment.
While attendance has stabilised more recently, the service has always operated with a subsidy, to keep the cost of the service low. In recent years, the cost of maintaining this subsidy has increased significantly, surpassing what we can sustainably support,” PARC said. “These increasing pressures are due to growing legislation and administration requirements, additional staff ratio necessities, and the Victorian Government’s investment into free three and four-year-old kinder, which has reduced the demand for PARC’s childcare services.”
Peninsula Leisure, which manages PARC, is an independently-run organisation owned by Frankston Council. It also operates Pines Forest Aquatic Centre.
First published in the Frankston Times – 3 December 2024