The Background to the Campaign

• Details about Sydney Institute management's plan were leaked to students in late August 2000. Only then was consultation between management and students undertaken, at the demand of the students.
• Originally, only 30 childcare places were proposed. A reduction of 20 places. This was increased to 50 places once the students/parents found out about this and held an on-campus demonstration on 6th of September 2000.
• This demonstration was supported by the Local Branch of the Teachers' Federation on the Ultimo Campus and the College branch of the Public Service Association. Motions were passed condemning management's proposal. This condemnation has been followed up in regular meetings between unions and management. The Parents were also supported by the Student Association and the Hospitality and Liquor Union.
• Letters were sent to the Minister of Education and Training by Parents and students. Politians were lobbied and the Parents escalated the issue through the Department of Education and Training.
• The Institute Director sent letters to each Parent requesting to meet with them individually. A response letter (dated 3rd October) was sent by the Parents rejecting this offer and requesting a group meeting on the 10th of October.
• The 3rd of October letter outlined the Parent's concerns. A document outlining the Parent's arguements against closing the centre was also enclose as well as a petition with over 700 student and staff signatures opposing the proposal.
• A meeting was arranged with the Institute Director on the 10th of October. The outcome was unsatisfactory and our questions were not answered.
• A second letter was sent to the Institute Director on the 23rd of October 2000 asking for a response to our questions which were sent in writing on the 3rd of October.
• A response by the Institute Director was sent to the Parents on the 27th of October 2000. The Sydney Institute did not even have a draft proposal at this stage so the Parents were understandably sceptical about whether Sydney Institute could deliver on what was being stated in the letter.
• The closure of the on-campus childcare centre was raised in Parliament by the Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Patricia Forsythe.
• A second on-campus demonstration was held on the 1st of November 2000 and a group of Parents and Friends met with the Institute Director. It was at this stage that Parent representatives were invited to join the Sydney Institute Childcare Reference Group.
• A Childcare Reference Group meeting was held on the 7th of November 2000. Parent concerns were raised as well as whether the Institute could guarantee the same number of childcare places as currently available. It was confirmed that Sydney Institute was seeking ten year contracts with the prospective childcare providers being considered.
• A mediation process between the Parents and Friends and the Sydney Institute then followed
• On the 22nd of November 2000, the Institute Director sent a letter to the Parents stating that the Institute had decided to accept an offer made by KU Children's Services to extend its contract for one year (until the end of 2001). This would allow the Institute more time to consider options for the future provision of childcare services.

• The Institute Director, proposed to close the on-campus childcare centre at the Ultimo College of TAFE, Sydney Institute at Easter 2001, and scatter the childcare places to three centres - the McKee Street centre Ultimo, which was recently closed, the Sydney Casino Staff Kids Centre in the Ultimo Community Centre, and the Fairfax centre in Ultimo. The Fairfax centre was unable to make places available so the alternatives were the McKee Street Centre and the Sydney Casino Staff Kids Centre.
• The University of Technology (UTS), Sydney, put a proposal to the Sydney Institute (SI) proposing an agreement between UTS, ABC and SI to refurbish the McKee Street centre as a 62 place centre. Funding of $100K each was required for this.
• The Department of Community Services (DOCS) was providing $450K funding to provide 45 places at the McKee Street Centre.

• Advice from DOCS contradicted the proposal put forward by UTS and SI. DOCS maintained that these 45 places were classified as "community places" and therefore could not be allocated to a particular group, such as students of SI or UTS or parents at ABC. Thus, it was unclear whether these places could be guaranteed, and given that students don't enroll at Sydney Institute until February, there was concern that there would not be places left for Sydney Institute students.
• DOCS were disputing the McKee Street Centre could be refurbished for 62 children's places, given the size of the land. McKee Street was originally a 45 place centre.
• There were only 5 places for under 2 years being offered at McKee Street centre for UTS, SI and ABC. This was inadequate and much less than was currently provided. The on-campus childcare centre has 15 baby places.
• Students were concerned that the Sydney Casino Staff Kids Centre was located about 10 minutes walk away from SI - 30 minutes walk with a child. This was not going to be convenient as the on-campus centre, as the majority of students use the centre to visit their children between classes, breastfeeding mothers or to tend to a sick child.
• The Sydney Casino Staff Kids Centre is on the second floor of the Ultimo Community Centre and has no real grass. Keeping active children indoors makes some children hyperactive. The on-campus childcare centre has grass and trees.
• Students did not wish to be associated with the Casino. This centre is on a busy corner with no parking to drop off children and little public transport.

• The Institute Director also proposed to scatter the childcare places to centres located near the homes of the current Parents.

• There was a concern of how quality would be controlled in each of these centres.
• There was a concern of how these centres would meet the particular needs of the students, such as flexibility for timetable changes; keeping places during semester breaks etc.
• These centres were available to students but they chose the on-campus childcare centre because it was more convenient.
• There was a concern that this was a "phasing out" scenario. If Parents took up the offer, once they had finished their courses that childcare place would be cut.