Education-Planning-Booklet

The sooner parents start planning for their children’s education, the more options they will have available to them in the future. To help with this process, Sprout has launched a free booklet that helps parents make decisions regarding their children’s
care and education.

According to research conducted by Over Fifty, the average waiting time for a council childcare spot is 11.5 weeks in Sydney and Melbourne. However, some areas are reporting wait time of up to 30 weeks and many have nothing available until the end of the year.

Over Fifty Product Development Manager, Troy Dafter, said that it was not surprising that many parents are faced with lengthy waiting lists. “With so much preparation for a new baby and the enormous responsibilities and adjustments once the baby arrives,
thinking about childcare and schooling can be the last thing from a new parent’s mind,” he said.

“However, if parents start planning early, they can help make the transition from home care to day care much more easily. The same also needs to be said for planning forkindergarten (or pre-school) and school. The sooner you start planning, the more options you will have available to you when the time comes.”

The research conducted by Over Fifty looked at average waiting times across a wide range of local government areas. In Melbourne, the longest wait time was up to 30 weeks in the Greater Dandenong area, the shortest just two weeks in Boroondara and Wyndham. Hornsby and Fairfield areas have the longest wait times in Sydney with 16 weeks, while the Western areas enjoy a comparatively short five-week wait.

The Sprout Education Planning Booklet helps parents think about what they want for
their children’s care and education. The Booklet goes through many questions parents
should ask themselves before deciding on a kinder or school, details costs that need to
be considered and how you will manage times like school holidays, when many centres
close.

Sourced from Financial Media Connections