Deb Brennan has followed the rise and fall of ABC Learning Centres from a critical distance.
The social policy professor has written extensively on child care in Australia and what happened to it when it went corporate.
- Brennan’s presentation [PDF file]
- Video of her Vancouver presentation
- Audio of her Ottawa presentation
It is estimated that ABC Learning Centres controls between 30% and 50% of the Australian child care sector. This is largely due to a government decision in the 1990s to extend public subsidies to users of private, for-profit care rather than to expand non-profit care.
She’s in Canada on a two week tour, sponsored by Code Blue for Child Care, a Canada-wide campaign to build a real pan-Canadian child care system.
In Ottawa professor Brennan will be speaking next at Ottawa City Council chambers, 7pm April 1.