Privatising VU's Children's Centres is not an acceptable option!

Don't close the childcare centres, they are central to the staff at VU and my experience with the Footscray Park child care centre was wonderful :)

I'm the head teacher in an ECE centre in North Otago in NZ and also the grandmother of a child at the centre in question. We live in an isolated area of NewZealand which limits the attendance of some of our students. Many have to travel an hour to attend. These children miss out on a lot of the opportunities that frequent attendance can provide as the take so long to settle and develop a full sense of 'well being' that they slip behind those children who are able to attend full time. Please don't close centres in urban areas. Many of the children there will then have the same issues due to travel time or would end up in unsuitable private care. Our children are our future. We must take care of them. Good Luck to the VU Centres from your Kiwi cousins.

Please don't close our wee centre !

the outsourcing must stop! Kids are not numbers and parents and staff will not be duped!

Children's learning in the first few years of life is crucial to their success and well-being in their school years and as they progress through life. An institution such as VU has the opportunity and position to truly embrace and celebrate 'life-long learning', and be a leader in the field by continuing to deliver high quality child care as is. Education in the broad, not narrow, sense should be VU's 'core business'.

Best wishes to the children's centres xxx Unfortunately VU management and hierarchy don't give a damn about loyalty or happiness-it's all about cutting costs.....I back u guys 2000% and Jayden is the kid he is today because of the support, structure and knowledge of those at the Nicholson St Children's Centre 2003-2006 As a single mum back then, Jayden not only had me but he had an extended family with the wonderful staff at the Centre-I have been blessed and privelaged that my Jayden was educated and given the beginnings of life's experiences whilst at Nicholson St Children's Centre

Save our VU children centre, please!!

As a Children Services student at VU that has observed and visited these services, this news has truly disappointed me. VU centres are an example of the bench marks us Educators are working towards and it would never be the same if the centres were to be privatised.

The core business of a university should be to provide an open and supportive learning environment for its staff and students. This can and should include childcare. Our family used the Footscray Park Children's Centre for 3 years. We have used a number of centres since. What stands out about VU childcare is not only the great care our kids received, it is the real interest the Children's Centre staff showed in the childcare setting as a learning environment not just for kids but for staff and for VU childcare students as well. We have used a number of childcare providers since but never seen quite the environment VU childcare has. You simply will not get this from a cost cutting profit maximising private provider. Closure or privatisation of the children's centres would be a poor move on VU's part and the sign of a narrow and bland understanding of what the core business of the place should be.

This is rediculous. Honestly how can anyone believe this is a good idea??

Craziness!!!!

This needs serious consideration, there is nothing good about privatised childcare. Having worked in the industry for over 18 years I can tell you when it comes to the bottom line the money wins and parents, children and staff lose every time. You know this to be true, so try to rethink what you are proposing, early childhood education is not babysitting give it the quality and care it deserves for the most vunerable in our society. They have a voice, you just need to listen.

As a past staff member I think that the impact of the programs on both children and families that the VU Children's Centres provide is grossly underestimated... I stopped working at VU in 1996 and I currently have both children and past parents as facebook friends... they took the time to find me to THANK ME for the wonderful memories that they have of their time at VU... such a shame that VU only values the positive impact they have on adult learners and not children....

These centres are so important to our mature students, staff and the children attending.tThe centre staff who are dedicated and caring so many of our student and staff students kids have been looked after in a secure enviorment.

I worked here, the service they provide is so important... More money needs to be put into them, to extend and develop them to make them more viable. They are lovely homely centres with dedicated educators.

It is part of the education program while an Adult furthers there studies there has to be a place for the children to further there's, and to have it part and organised by the same eduction department (government run) just makes sense without it a lot of women won't be able to further educate themselves. It doesn't make sense to privatise this child care education what will be next to privatise the university?

Closing the vu children's centre will mean so many potential students and parents will have to sacrifice work/study in lieu of looking after their kids. Such a shame.

The childcare centres provide an incredibly valuable service to many staff and students and should definitely not be closed or outsourced.

My child was at VU childcare in Footscray Park until he went to school. The fantastic care he received there no doubt contributed to his many social and academic achievements over the years. He is a well balanced, eloquent and socially well-adjusted boy. My daughter however could not go to FP childcare because I was transferred to the City Campus, and it wasn't logistically feasible. I had to send my daughter to a private childcare centre, where agency staff were more the norm than the exception. Every few days we had a new face on the staff looking after our children. I personally suffered a significant amount of stress at having to leave her at this non-VU centre. As a staff member I'm sure it impacted my work. Having experienced the difference with my son across the road when I was at FP, where if I had to work late, I was comfortable in the knowledge that he was across the road and all would be fine - I can understand why staff and students are worried. With my daughter on the other hand, I had a totally different experience as I had to travel by very unreliable public transport to pick up my daughter in a child care centre closer to home.I could never work back any later as the centre would potentially close before I could get across town to pick her up. It's really not just about the $$$ but also about the peace of mind of us parents. One of the benefits of working in the tertiary educations sector is the family friendly environment. Let's not just pay lip service to this statement, but actually demonstrate it with continued support for our childcare centres.

The Childrens' Centre has been a great help for our daughter's twin daughters.. The centre staff are wonderful and we all fear that privatisation could prove negative if its present culture and team are lost