Debra Bullock is echoing the call of other Wanganui parents that the early childhood funding cuts are going to cut deep into the family's income.
Yesterday the Chronicle reported that some families would have to reduce the days their children attended kindergarten because of the government's $285 million cuts to the
early childhood education sector.
The Bullocks' two preschoolers, Jack and Ethan, attend Durie Hill's Polson Park Kindergarten all-day session from 8.45am-2.45pm. "We pay $35 a week for the two boys to attend, but we'll now have to pay $70 (a week) if the boys went for five days."
Mrs Bullock said the 20 free hours were great to have, and helped, and she did not want to appear ungrateful.
"To date I guess we have been lucky for our children to attend the hours that they have and not paying for the extra hours above the 20 free ECE hours."
The $35 includes a $5 donation for each child attending that is invoiced each week.
"Our first reaction was to drop their days down to three, but we have not had the heart to do this, so we will pay $35 for the fourth day they attend and drop the fifth."
Mrs Bullock said child care costs had always been a struggle for the family. She would very much like to return to the workforce but the cuts have removed that choice.
The 13 kindergartens in the Wanganui Kindergarten Association will lose $440,000 a year.
All kindergartens have a petition that parents can sign, calling on the Government to reverse the funding cuts.
