Holiday programme funding to continue

Auckland City yesterday decided that its annual funding of $144,000 for holiday programmes across the city will continue.

Council officers will be working through the best way of allocating the funds.

The council also acknowledged central government’s larger role in school holiday programme funding.

Additional funding is now available to holiday programme providers from the government’s Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) assistance funding.

The Ministry of Social Development, via OSCAR, now allocates funds to programme providers to improve the viability, supply and quality of accredited programmes. These funds were not available prior to the Ministry of Social Development support.

OSCAR assistance funding was piloted in 2002 and established in 2003 as a contestable funding scheme. OSCAR funding averages around $9000 per annum to each qualifying holiday programme.

Auckland City’s allocated budget of $144,000 to holiday programmes means that an average grant was around $5000 per programme per year.

It is anticipated that 18 of the 22 programmes will be receiving government funding by October 2004.

The City’s draft long-term plan, recently released for public consultation, proposed that Auckland City’s holiday programme funding be withdrawn for the next financial year.

Councillor Graeme Mullholland, chairperson of the Community Services Committee, says councillors carefully considered the 51 verbal and written submissions before making the decision today.

“Holiday programmes provide an important role for families in our community and reducing their funding would have created a number of challenges. We listened to their concerns and are confident that the funding should stay,” says Mr Mullholland.

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