BASSENDEAN families will face a near 25 per cent increase in childcare costs from July after councillors voted to raise fees at the town’s Wind in the Willows childcare centre.

Following more than an hour of public questions and debate at the May 26 council meeting, councillors voted 4-1 to adopt a new fee structure that will increase the standard daily fee from $154 to $192 per child from July 1.

An amendment proposed by Mayor Kathryn Hamilton introduced a discounted rate of $179 per day for families whose children attend the centre four or more days a week.

Even with the discount, families using the service four days a week will pay $25 more per day than under the current fee structure.

The decision comes after the council-run childcare service recorded operating losses of more than $800,000 across the past three financial years.

During the meeting, residents questioned the size of the increase and its potential impact on families already facing rising living costs.

Council’s financial modelling assumes an occupancy rate of 80 per cent, which officers acknowledged had not been consistently maintained under the current operating model.

In response to questions from Echo News chief executive officer Cameron Woods defended the increase, arguing childcare users should bear more of the cost of operating the service rather than ratepayers.

“Childcare is a specialised service that is used by a relatively small proportion of the community, and council considers it appropriate that the costs of delivering the service are primarily met by those who directly benefit from it,” he said.

The town said approximately 27 per cent of children enrolled at Wind in the Willows live outside the Bassendean district, meaning local ratepayers had historically contributed to the cost of care for families beyond the town’s boundaries.

Mr Woods said the new fee reflected increasing costs associated with operating the service, including staff wages under the town’s enterprise agreement.

According to Mr Woods, salaries and wages account for about 70 per cent of Wind in the Willows’ operating expenditure.

He also acknowledged they had not increased fees in previous years at a level that would have allowed the service to break even.

“As a result, a significant fee increase is required in the coming financial year,” Mr Woods said.

The town has committed to continue operating Wind in the Willows until at least July 2027 while it explores transitioning the service to a not-for-profit or community-based provider.

A public expression of interest process is expected to begin in July.