Hindmarsh & Yarriambiack Shires advocate for end to childcare deserts

Published on 01 November 2024

On Tuesday 29 October Yarriambiack and Hindmarsh Shires welcomed Dr Anne Webster, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health (and Member for Mallee) and Angie Bell, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, to the region to discuss the lack of childcare and the impact it has on our communities, from a social health, wellbeing, economic and financial perspective.

CEOs from both Shires were joined by Councillors from Yarriambiack Shire, Wimmera Southern Mallee By Five Executive Officer Jo Martin, Emerge Early Years Services CEO Elicia Napoli, Rainbow P-12 College, Beulah Primary School, parents and business people from across both Shires to discuss this important topic.

In April of 2024, childcare services in Hopetoun were closed indefinitely after the service provider was unable to fill vacant qualified educator roles. Staffing shortages are increasingly affecting the majority of childcare and early years services elsewhere in the region, placing a huge toll on families.

During the visit, community members bravely shared their stories of how the closures and lack of access to adequate childcare across the region had affected the lives of families, businesses and the wider community. The Federal Members of Parliament heard stories of mothers having to close their own businesses, reduce the hours they work, lose their jobs completely, or see their children being held back due to the lack of social interaction that is so crucial to their development.

Mothers also spoke of the devastating effect on a family’s physical and mental health, while Rainbow P-12 College Principal Colleen Petschel recounted how it has led to staff shortages at schools and other businesses when staff find they can’t return to work in a full capacity, or in some cases at all.

Certain families have even contemplated relocating from their cherished homes in order to secure dependable childcare services that would enable them to resume their professional commitments.

Some individuals are managing their responsibilities with the help of older family members and friends who have adjusted their schedules to assist with babysitting.

The closure of the Hopetoun childcare facility significantly affected the community, leading the Yarriambiack Shire and other stakeholders to take action. Consequently, Emerge Early Years Services has been enlisted to manage kindergarten and childcare services in Hopetoun, including the Kindergarten in Beulah starting from early 2025.

However, the issues affecting early years services across the region including access to funding, licencing constraints, a lack of flexibility in regulations for rural centres, comparative low wages, and unsecure employment due to a reliance on funding, is hampering their efforts to re-establish the service.

During presentations, Hindmarsh CEO Monica Revell, Yarriambiack CEO Tammy Smith, and By Five Executive Officer Jo Martin spoke of the solutions that could affect real change in small communities across the region. This included advocating to government for:

• Block funding for rural childcare providers
• Integrated long day care, with sessional kindergarten on school sites
• Incentives for early childhood professionals to live and work in rural Victoria; and
• Affordable Housing to recruit, attract and retain early childhood professionals in our communities.
• The need for the State and the Commonwealth to work together with communities to get this right

Ms Revell said “We urge both sides of Government to address the disparities and lack of access to childcare in our rural communities.”

Ms Smith added “Every family and child deserve access to high quality early childhood education and care – its non-negotiable.”

“Rural communities simply cannot wait another generation for change” she continued.

By Five has found that in the Wimmera Southern Mallee area 11 of 19 towns with populations over 300 people don’t have access to childcare at all, while 415 children are on a waitlist. 12 services are currently available in the region, 92% of which have a waiting list. 67% of these services have staff vacancies, and it will take 104 staff to meet the current known demand for childcare services in the region. 5 new services are planned for the region.

Monica Revell
Chief Executive Officer
Hindmarsh Shire Council

Tammy Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Yarriambiack Shire Council