Welcoming our newborn babies and supporting their parents at such a crucial time will be the focus of next Tuesdays inaugural Baby Expo, hosted by local MP, Libby Coker.

Ms Coker said the Expo at Shell Road Pavilion, Ocean Grove, will celebrate and support local young families.

We are such a rapidly growing region and so, its important we support our young families, and give them access to support services, connect them to their community and importantly, provide an opportunity to celebrate the birth of a newborn baby, Ms Coker said.

Ms Coker will be joined by Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Development, Amanda Rishworth, and Geelong Mums General Manager, Julia Roache.

We will also have a host of stalls to provide advice and access to a range of health and maternal childcare services, along with face painting, a photo booth, a toy library and local.

One highlight will be a presentation to each baby and their parents by the Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP and Libby Coke MP.

We want this to be a fun and welcoming event because we know parenting, particularly for the first time, can be a joyful but anxious time, Ms Coker said.

It can also be a time of financial stress, exacerbated by the costs of child care and the loss of one income for some families.

The Federal Department of Educations most recent data shows child care fees for families in the Surf Coast/the Bellarine and Geelong soared by 6.2 per cent and 4.3 per cent respectively over the preceding 12 months.

Nationwide, child care fees have now soared by 35.9 per cent since the election of the Liberal Government in 2013.

Ms Rishworth said unfortunately the pain is only going to get worse for families. Documents from the Federal Education Department predict child care fees will increase by an average of 4.1 per cent every year for the next four years nationwide.

This increase in fees will substantially outstrip inflation, which the Child Care Subsidy is pegged to meaning out of pocket costs for families will continue to skyrocket for years to come.

Ms Rishworth said the Labors cheaper child care plan will:

• Scrap the $10,560 child care subsidy cap which often sees women losing money from an extra days work;
• Lift the maximum child care subsidy rate to 90 per cent; and
• Increase child care subsidy rates and taper them for every family earning less than $530,000.

Ms Rishworth said the plan will make child care more affordable for 97 per cent of families in the system, and remove financial barriers that disincentivise second income earners, predominantly women, to work full time.

Importantly, Labor will keep working to fix Australias broken child care system, which currently locks out more than 100,000 families because they just cant afford it.

The Productivity Commission will conduct a comprehensive review of the sector with the aim of implementing a universal 90 per cent subsidy for all families.

The ACCC will design a price regulation mechanism to shed light on costs and fees and drive them down for good. The ACCC will examine the relationship between funding, fees, profits and educators salaries.

Quotes attributable to Amanda Rishworth MP, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Development:

The evidence is clear: the current child care system is broken.

Parents desperately need a real plan to tackle skyrocketing child care costs, which is why Labor has a plan to make child care cheaper for 97 per cent of families.

The Morrison Governments childcare system has failed to keep a lid on out of pocket costs, and it has failed to support working parents, particularly women, to work full time or increase their hours.

Quotes attributable to Libby Coker MP, Member for Corangamite:

This Expo is a time for celebrating the arrival of new babies into our region. This is a time of joy but it can also be a time when a young family can be anxious and financially stressed. I want young families to know we are here for them.

And that we have a plan to make child care much, much more affordable. A plan that will mean mums, in particular, can return to work, maintain their superannuation, their skills and their connection to the workforce and it wont cost an arm and a leg.