RELATED STORY: ‘There’s nothing available’
WAITING lists for childcare in Swan Hill are set to blow out to more than a year as tighter regulatory guidelines make becoming a childcare educator or running a childcare business from home increasingly difficult.
In the past year, the number of educators registered with the Swan Hill Rural City Council has dropped to just six and waiting lists for all of the town’s daycare centres continue to grow.
While the new requirements ultimately provide better outcomes for children in care, they are making it “less attractive” for people to become childcare workers, council’s director of community and cultural services Bruce Myers said.
“Houses may need significant modifications before they can be used for Family Day Care, and the government has removed incentive schemes that contribute towards these costs.
“Educators are now required to have a Certificate III in Children’s Services or higher. That can be done locally through TAFE, but can take two to three years to complete.”
Despite the council actively encouraging people to become family daycare providers through its Family Day Care Scheme, there were currently only six educators registered, as compared to 12 last year, Mr Myers said.
“The three long day care centres are full to the best of our knowledge and costs for childcare in general are increasing as a result of the extra staff qualifications required,” he said.
“There has been a shortage of qualified workers in the area for some time, due to retirements, as well as informal child care operations reducing to meet the increasing regulations.”
Swan Hill Childcare Centre coordinator Jill Kelly said they received a number of phone calls weekly from parents seeking a place for their child.
“We have a very long waiting list for the newborn (around six-weeks-old) to three years age group,” Ms Kelly said.
It has been reported previously waiting lists for the local centres had reached up to a year.
For the full story, pick up a copy of Friday’s Guardian (March 28).
