By Aaron Cordy
FAMILIES seeking holiday care for their children in and around Shepparton have been left scrambling to find placements for their children after they were told the service they booked was no longer available.
While there are many programs run across a spectrum of providers in the area, most of these are short-run activities that require a parent or carer present while the kids bask in the joyful activity.
For those unable to take time off work, or don’t have the support of family and friends there is Their Care. A trusted brand that operates before and after-school care as well as holiday programs on school sites.
The trouble with this is not all schools run the holiday program. Families from schools like Orrvale and Gowrie Street simply need to find a close school that does have a holiday program for their children. In the past, this has not been a problem. But this year. Guthrie Street, Bourchier Street and Grahamvale schools have decided they will no longer take children from other schools. A decision that comes from the school itself, despite the school staff not being required to run the program.
Families, as late as Friday evening before the holidays were receiving text messages from the schools telling them they would need to unregister their children from the service, despite being already secured in a clearly available booking.
What this means for families left without somewhere for their children to go is anyone’s guess. Their Care, despite running the programs have their hands tied, as it is up to the schools to decide who is allowed despite having no active role in the program other than a school site.
Families of Orrvale and Gowrie St schools can only hope they take up holiday programs before more schools make themselves unavailable.
