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Moreton Bay Regional Council seeks new provider for Birralee Child Care Centre
Freya Lucas
Oct 21, 2020
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Queensland’s Moreton Bay Regional Council is seeking expressions of interest from non-profit early childhood education providers to assume the governance and management of Birralee Child Care Centre in Ferny Hills.
Having served the needs of local families for 43 years, Birralee has built a reputation for providing high quality community based early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, something which Mayor Peter Flannery is keen to see continue under the guidance of new management.“If you’ve worked in the child care sector then you’re well aware that it’s a dynamic, everchanging and heavily regulated sector,” Mr Flannery said.
“Council’s structures are simply not set up in ways that best support this type of service,” he continued, saying that the Council want to ensure that the service “continues to grow and diversify” in line with sector trends.
“While common in the 1980s, the direct governance and management of child care centres by local governments is not as common today” the Mayor said, noting that Moreton Bay is “the only major local government in South East Queensland still directly delivering child care services.”
As such, he continued, the Council is “on the hunt” for a reputable non-profit child care specialist to take Birralee into its next chapter.
“We are hopeful that the EOI process will identify a provider to continue the legacy of high-quality services that our community has come to expect from the Birralee team,” he said.
Local Councillor, Matt Constance, said choosing a community partner for the service was not an easy decision, given the respect with which the service is held in the local community.
“Birralee is home to many great memories for many generations of local families, who have watched their children grow, learn and play there for 43 years,” he said.
However, Council’s decision to seek a community partner for the service will help ensure the viability and long-term future of the Birralee community, Mr Constance said, noting the importance of ensuring the community-based status and ethos remains, and the continuity of high-quality services to the service’s 91 customers is not negatively impacted.
“We’ll be doing everything within our power to make the transition from Council’s governance and management to a new provider as seamless as possible,” he said, thanking the Birralee staff for their continued dedication, professionalism and nurturing care.
“The success of the centre, including it’s 100 per cent occupancy rate and ‘Exceeding’ National Quality Rating, is in no small part a result of their contributions” Mr Constance said.
For more information about the EOI process, please contact Council’s call centre on 07 3205 0555.
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