A year into the economic downturn, the vestige of stability isdisappearing - and it seems less certain that the Government willcontinue its decade-long practice of ploughing money into early yearsand childcare initiatives.
It has already been a turbulent 12 months for the industry, with itsbiggest operator, the Australia-based ABC Learning, humbled by growingdebts and forced to sell off large chunks of its business.
Crystal-ball gazing at a time of such economic upheaval may provefruitless. Who knows what havoc the current crisis afflicting thebanking sector will wreak in the long term? Tightening household budgetsmight mean a dip in demand for childcare in some quarters, but somebelieve that demand will actually pick up as women return early frommaternity leave and extend their working hours to shore up the familyfinances.
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