Federal funding uncertainty leaves centre without valued employee

Discrepancies in the delivery of Federal funding has left a Port Hedland child care centre without an outreach program co-ordinator for more than five months.

In January, the North West Telegraph reported Rose Nowers Child Care Centre was not successful in an application to the Department of Social Services for about $70,000 for its Childcare Links program.

In the course of 16 years, Childcare Links co-ordinators facilitated playgroups in Hedland, Marble Bar, Warralong and Yandeyarra, providing vital information and support to parents and about 100 vulnerable children in remote communities.

Although the program had funding to June 30, it ceased in February after the facilitator found alternative employment because of continuing job uncertainty.

Five months after the funding cuts were announced, Rose Nowers centre manager Cynthia Dornelles was told the department had reassessed its application, found the service to be essential and funded the program with $215,348 until June 30, 2017.

Although grateful for the funding, a frustrated and disappointed Ms Dornelles said the department’s about-face had left the organisation in a complicated situation.

She said the organisation had lost a valued employee because of the “short notice” the department gave in relation to the funding.

“Our co-ordinator, who had been with us for seven years … got another job, so when I was able to tell her we had the funding available, she was no longer available to work, ” Ms Dornelles said.

“She had connections, she had bonded with the communities, gained their trust … it is now complicated to have to deal with all the consequences of the short notices (by the department).

“It shows to me that they don’t understand the interplay and the challenges that happen in remote areas.”

Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison said gap funding had been provided to Rose Nowers to continue the program until June 30.

He said the initial DSS selection process had identified one provider in each vulnerable community, and the department had engaged with providers throughout the transition period.

“In the Pilbara, Gumala Aboriginal Corporation is being funded as a Children and Parenting Support Service based in South Hedland and Regional Development Australia as a Communities for Children Facilitating Partner in the West Pilbara, ” he said.

“Rose Nowers Child Care centre were in receipt of bridging funding up until June 30, 2015, so that they could provide service continuity up until the time when the outcome of gaps analysis was determined.”

Ms Dornelles said more than a month after the new funding was announced, she had still not received a funding agreement, so was unable to begin the process to employ a new facilitator for the frontline community service.