b'Keeping early learning centres openCOVID-19 has been challenging for manyof this issue, including a front-page story inbusinesses and organisations, including theThe Age and interviews with ABC radio,community services sector.says COVID-19 External Relations Advisor,The announcement of free childcare byJesse Dean. the Australian Government at the start ofEfforts included the confronting task of April was a huge help to families strugglingcontacting Members of Parliament (MPs) in with the impacts of the pandemic, butareas where our centres were at risk of closing. unfortunately, this came with a 50% cut toWe encouraged those MPs to share our point of our early learning funding. view with decision-makers.The change to childcare funding was intendedWe had ongoing conversations with the to be supplemented by the introduction ofdepartments who fund the impacted areas and the JobKeeper scheme, a temporary subsidyengaged with the Australian Tax Office, who for businesses significantly affected byadministers the JobKeeper scheme, to make COVID-19. But Unitings government fundingour case, says Jesse.across the organisation meant that we wereThis collective effort resulted in changes not eligible for JobKeeper. As a result, at leastthat allowed organisations to exclude their 20 of our early learning services were put atgovernment income from calculations risk of closure.of revenue loss. Most Uniting employees We joined forces with Uniting NSW.ACT andbecame eligible for the JobKeeper payment, a UnitingCare Australia to lobby for amendmentswelcome boost for the organisation during this to the JobKeeper scheme. We were asking forunprecedented time, when demand for many of recognition that organisations like ours werentour services was growing.able to move revenue from one part of theGeorge is one of the thousands of children who attend ourorganisation to another, as so much is tied toEarly Learning services across Victoria and Tasmania.government programs.Using our early learning centres as a case study, we achieved excellent media coverage'