Melbourne Rally 18th August - BYO - Bring your own Bear!

State launch “Wendy Lovell Mobile Occasional Care Centre”

220 Occasional Care Centres across Victoria are losing Take A Break Occasional Care government funding. We are holding a demonstration on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne to show our disappointment in the loss of this funding.

The Take a Break Occasional Care initiative was created to fulfil the need for accessible, affordable, quality, sessional child care. It has existed for over 15 years in Victoria, and was jointly funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments.

In June 2010, the Commonwealth Government withdrew its funding for the program. The former Victorian Labor Government agreed to fully fund the program for 12 months. The current Coalition State Government has decided not to continue funding the program beyond 31 Dec 2011. The cost of Take A Break Occasional Care is $1.9 million per year.

Our plan is to have hundreds of dolls, teddies and soft toys representing the children attending Occasional Care sitting on the steps of Parliament House.

We ask anyone who has used Occasional Care in the past or who plan to use Occasional Care in the future to join in the campaign.

If you can’t attend the rally yourself then please donate a doll, teddy or soft toy to the cause. Contact your local Occasional Care centre to donate. We understand it can be difficult to attend a rally in Melbourne that’s why the dolls, teddies and soft toys are going!

At the end of the rally all dolls, teddies and soft toys will be donated to charity.

Rally Details:
When - Thursday August 18th
Time - Noon to set up dolls etc, 1pm rally
Where - Parliament House (intersection of Spring and Bourke Streets)
Contact Details: ANHLC - Ph 9654 1104; email anhlc@anhlc.asn.au
                            Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre - Ph 5825 1774