Federal Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann, has blasted the Morrison Government’s handling of child care fees as local families anxiously await the upcoming hit to their household budgets.

“This week families across Ipswich, the Somerset Region and the Karana Downs region had to recommence paying child care fees with no support from the Morrison Government to bring down out of pocket costs,” Mr Neumann said.

The Morrison Government’s decision to snap back to their old, pre-pandemic child care system will cripple young families who were already under strain with out of pocket costs even before the pandemic soaring by 7.2 per cent in the last year alone.

“Many families in my electorate have told me they are seriously worried about how they will get by. We are in the middle of a recession, when parents are relying on rent moratoriums, JobKeeper and JobSeeker to survive, child care fees will be out of reach for many,” said Mr Neumann.

With JobKeeper being prematurely ripped away from early educators from 12 July, there is no guarantee early educators will continue to get paid particularly with a decrease in demand as a result of the snap back on fees.

Mr Neumann said the Morrison Government had bungled the early education sector throughout the pandemic and it was parents, children, educators and providers who have paid the price every step of the way.

“Australians need a child care system that ensures early learning affordable and accessible for families, keeps educators in jobs and protects the viability of providers,” Mr Neumann said.