Tasmanian Labor party commits to $750,000 in OSHC support in 2022, should it win

The Tasmanian Labor party has made a $750,000 election promise to the Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) sector, pledging that OSHC services would be rolled out in an additional 10 Tasmanian Government schools, should the Party secure victory in 2022, when the next State election falls due. 

Under the plan, each of the ten schools would receive $75,000 to upgrade facilities, buy new equipment, or cover the administration burden of opening up a service. 

In outlining the promise, Labor education spokesperson, Josh Willie, said the policy was designed to support families to return to, or remain in, the workforce, and to remove employment barriers.

The ten schools chosen were selected because they operate in areas where there is currently no provision for OSHC services. 

Speaking with local publication The Mercury not-for-profit OSHC provider Adventure Patch CEO, Lynne Moran, said the plan would give providers much needed confidence and address concerns about viability. 

“There’s many school communities in Tasmania that don’t have access to outside school hours care at the moment, and establishing a service is a big commitment,’’ she said.

“As a not-for-profit organisation, our focus is on providing a service in the community where there’s a need … sometimes that’s really difficult if there’s only a small number of children that need outside school hours care.”

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