Darren Chester MP – CHESTER SEEKS URGENT ACTION

Heyfield’s only childcare service faces closure after losing access to federal support it has
relied on since 2017, leaving more than 30 local families and five educators with an
uncertain future.
Kids House, which is operated by the Heyfield Community Resource Centre, has relied on
the Community Child Care Fund to remain financially viable.
The centre applied for $270,000 over three years under Round 5 of the fund to support
staff wages, but its application was unsuccessful.
Without replacement funding, the centre has warned Kids House is no longer financially
viable and will be forced to close.
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester attended an urgent meeting with Federal
Early Childhood Education Minister Senator Jess Walsh, calling for immediate action to
prevent the avoidable loss of Heyfield’s only childcare service, and for the Department to
examine the centre’s circumstances and available ongoing funding options.
“Kids House has been part of Heyfield for more than 20 years, and it is the only childcare
service in town,” Mr Chester said.
“More than 30 local families rely on this service, and five qualified educators are employed
through the centre.
“This is not a nice-to-have service. It is essential community infrastructure that allows
parents to work, study and participate in community life.
“We cannot afford to lose childcare in Heyfield because a small, community-managed
provider in a rural town cannot absorb rising costs without fair and ongoing support.”
Mr Chester said the situation highlighted the need for scrutiny of whether the Community
Child Care Fund model is delivering sustainable access for small rural communities.
“Regional families should not be disadvantaged because their local childcare service
operates in a small market with limited capacity to absorb rising costs,” Mr Chester said.