IN March 2023, a Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast (RDAMNC) survey found that only 65 percent of childcare demand on the Mid North Coast was being met, a shortfall said to be costing local families an estimated $384 million in lost wages each year.
The survey focused on the region covered by the MidCoast, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Kempsey, Nambucca, Bellingen and Coffs Harbour local government areas.
Since that survey, both the Federal and NSW governments have introduced reforms to the early childhood education and care sector.
But RDAMNC wonders whether anything has actually changed for families and providers on the Mid North Coast and has launched two short surveys, both of which will be anonymous and will not require disclosure of names or contact details.
One of the surveys is for parents and families, while the other is for childcare service providers.
“If you have tried to access childcare on the Mid North Coast, whether you found a place or could not, your experience is exactly what we need to hear,” explains a statement from RDAMNC.
RDAMNC is a not-for-profit organisation which supports the economic development of the region.
“RDAMNC’s role is to gather credible regional evidence and put it in front of decision-makers,” said CEO Madeleine Lawler.
“Community voices from parents who can’t find childcare to providers under workforce pressure are what make that advocacy count.
“This survey is how those voices are heard.”
The surveys can be accessed at https://rdamnc.org.au/category/updates/
Anyone with questions can contact Dianne Wall, Chief Operations Officer, at operations@rdamnc.org.au.
By John WATTS
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