General News
4 November, 2024
'Childcare Desert' in Wimmera, Mallee sparks urgent call for action
Families struggle with childcare crisis, seek Government support.
Families in the Wimmera and Mallee regions are grappling with a severe lack of childcare, with some considering relocation to access services.
Local MP Dr Anne Webster and opposition minister for Early Childhood Education Angie Bell toured the area on October 29 and heard firsthand accounts of communities under pressure due to the 'childcare desert'.
Since Hopetoun's childcare service closed due to staff shortages, local leaders in the Yarriambiack and Hindmarsh municipalities have been working to find solutions.
However, challenges with funding, licencing, and wages continue to hamper efforts, prompting calls for urgent government action to support sustainable childcare in rural areas.
Hindmarsh chief executive Monica Revell said the state and federal government need to find a solution.
"We urge both sides of Government to address the disparities and lack of access to childcare in our rural communities," she said.
Yarriambiack CEO Tammy Smith said rural communities "cannot wait another generation for change".
"Every family and child deserve access to high quality early childhood education and care. It's non-negotiable," she said.
Dr Webster said the event highlighted the urgent need for sustainable childcare solutions to support these rural areas' social, health, and economic wellbeing.
"In Hopetoun, mothers told us of the mental health struggle they have endured not being able to obtain childcare for their children," Dr Webster said.
Ms Bell said the tour of the region's childcare deserts reinforced the unique challenges in regional Australia.
"This week, I heard stories about families and communities doing it tough because of limited or a lack of access to early learning," she said.
"Unfortunately this is a common issue throughout regional, rural and remote Australia."
Rural childcare crisis
In April 2024, childcare services in Hopetoun were closed indefinitely after the service provider was unable to fill vacant positions.
Staffing shortages increasingly affected the majority of childcare and early years services elsewhere in the region, placing stress on local families.
By Five reports that more than 50 per cent of the Wimmera Southern Mallee alone is considered a 'childcare desert'.
The report also highlighted:
11 of 19 Wimmera Southern Mallee towns with populations more than 300 people don't have access to childcare at all;
415 children are on a waitlist;
12 services are currently available in the region, 92% of which have a waiting list; and
67% of these services have staff vacancies.
"The local shires have been working hard with Wimmera Southern Mallee Development's By Five initiative to strengthen childcare in the region," Dr Webster said.
"I am working with them at state and federal levels to cut through the red tape and promote policy that will bring sustainable childcare to the region."
The closure of the childcare facility significantly affected the community, leading the Yarriambiack Shire Council to enlist Emerge Early Years Services to manage kindergarten and childcare services.
A kindergarten in Beulah is set to start in 2025.
However, issues with ongoing funding, licencing constraints, comparatively low wages, and insecure employment due to a reliance on external financing prevent efforts to resume other services.