Little River residents have launched an online petition urging the federal government to reverse a decision to cut out-of-hours care funding.
As reported by Star Weekly, Little River Primary School has been told that federal funding for its care program will cease early next year because 2011 census data showed the town was in a major city (Wyndham).
The town has previously been classified as ‘inner regional’, allowing the school to access funding.
The school community fears the program will be closed if the funding is not reinstated, leaving 57 children without care before or after school.
Residents are aiming to collect 1000 signatures on a petition by next Wednesday. Already, 235 people have signed it.
School council president Gillian Caldwell said parents were concerned about the safety of children should the program close.
She said many residents worked in Geelong or Melbourne and relied on the program to provide care for their children until they finished work.
“If children were forced to walk home to an empty house, on one side of Little River they would need to cross a narrow bluestone bridge with no room for pedestrians and only enough room for two cars,’’ she said.
‘‘On another side they would need to cross an unmanned railway line.”
More details: thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/158/499/203.
