More than $1.5 million will be provided to six Hume child care providers so that nearby families have access to quality, reliable early childhood education and care.

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said the Turnbull Government’s $271 million Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) was about breaking down the barriers to early childhood education and care.

“I’m very pleased to confirm that six child care and early learning centres in my electorate have been given additional support for the work they do to break down the barriers for children and families,” Mr Taylor said.

“We’re backing the families who live in communities where access to early learning and child care isn’t always guaranteed.

“This is about giving children a strong start while supporting parents into work.”

The six Hume centres to receive CCCF support are:

• Crookwell Mobile Long Day Care
• Crookwell Neighbourhood Centre Combined OSHC
• Goulburn Family Day Care
• St Anthony's Out of School Hours Care, Picton
• Warradale Wigwam
• Wollondilly Family Day Care

“This funding will ensure local services are sustainable and can deliver for their communities. It will help to overcome some of the unique challenges that child care services in the city don’t face, such as attracting and retaining qualified staff,” Mr Taylor said.

Wollondilly Council (which operates Wollondilly Family Day Care) Children’s Services Team Leader Kerrie Shelton said Wollondilly families had specific needs due to their long travel times to work and the rural character of the Shire.

“This grant will help us to prepare a business plan for the future childcare needs of our growing community,” she said.

Mr Taylor said the switchover to the Turnbull Government’s new child care and early learning system would start on 2 July 2018, but urged families not to wait to the last minute to take action.

He said families can log onto www.education.gov.au/childcare to estimate their new subsidy, and complete the myGov Child Care Subsidy Assessment to start the switchover to the new child care and early learning system.

Details about the Community Child Care Fund are available at: https://www.education.gov.au/community-child-care-fund-0