Dave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Last week was Education Week in New South Wales and, with the theme of lifelong learners, celebrated education and educators from early childhood through to tertiary education. I want to make special mention today of the 63 childcare and early education centres in Wentworth that remain open as a critical service to support the community and care for the young children of working families. Last week, I held an online forum with some of the early childhood education centres to hear about their concerns, answer their questions and thank them for their enormous contribution to the community in very challenging times. Most centres reported that 70 to 80 per cent of enrolled children are still attending the centres daily, which tells you what vital services they are. With public health orders as they are, community anxiety and transport difficulties, it is a difficult time to be working in early childhood education, so I want to place on record how much we appreciate and recognise all that these people are doing to provide the essential service of caring for the youngest members of our community during this testing time.

I particularly want to mention a few who joined me last week: Bambini's Childcare Centre, Bennett Street Childcare Centre, Clovelly Child Care Centre, Clyde Street Child Care, Emanuel Woollahra Preschool, Iluka Child Care Centre, KU Kira Child Care Centre, Mill Hill Early Education, Moriah College Preschool, Mother Goose Childcare Centre, Mount Zion War Memorial Kindergarten, North Bondi Kindergarten, Wee Care 2 Child Care Centre, Woollahra Preschool, and Yeladim Early Learning Centre.