Weipa parent Louise Andrews will have no choice but to leave town with her husband and daughter Mia if the outside school hours care service is shut down. Photo: Supplied.
At a time when Weipa had no care options for school-aged children, the reopening of the St Joseph’s Parish School outside school hours care (OSHC) service in December 2024 came as a saving grace for working parents in the community.
Now, just months after celebrating its first anniversary, the service is back on the chopping block, leaving families “stressed, anxious and uncertain”.
One of the many parents severely affected by the news is Louise Andrews, who said she and her family may have no choice but to leave Weipa if the essential service is withdrawn.
As a dental nurse in the community, Ms Andrews said she and her family lived in government housing, and she needed to work a certain number of hours per week to qualify.
“If I had to drop hours or stop a day, that could jeopardise our housing,” she said.
“We left Perth Easter last year to do the lap around Australia, and we stopped here, and my husband and I got jobs.
“If that all fell through, then we’d probably have to continue on our travels.”
Parents were given extremely short notice, with Centrecare FNQ issuing a statement on 11 June about the potential closure and consultation period ending on 17 June.
Ms Andrews and several parents have written to Centrecare FNQ to stress the importance of the OSHC service and fight for its continuation.
“The OSHC and vacation care program is not simply a convenience for parents — it is a critical service that enables workforce participation in Weipa,” she wrote in her letter.
“For a remote town such as Weipa, where childcare options are extremely limited, removing this service would place families in an impossible situation.
“The reality is that there are not sufficient alternative arrangements available to absorb the demand currently met by the OSHC and vacation care program.
“The closure of this service would not only impact individual families, but would also have broader economic and workforce implications for Weipa.”
Ms Andrews told Cape York Weekly that the impact would also be significant for her daughter Mia, who had settled in and made friends after moving around the country.
“It wouldn’t be ideal at all, because we were planning on staying here until she started high school,” the concerned mother said.
Following the consultation period, parents were issued a further statement on 18 June, with more information expected this week.
“We recognise the importance of this service and understand the impact that any potential changes may have on children, families and the community,” the Centrecare FNQ statement read.
“Given the volume of responses and the matters raised, we believe it is important to take the necessary time to carefully consider all information before making any decisions.
“At this stage, no final decision has been made regarding the future of the service.
“In the meantime, the St Joseph’s Weipa outside school hours care service will continue to operate as usual.”
