Businesses and homes continue to be rebuilt and reopened every day, but inevitably there are some services that are falling through the cracks.

The Federal Government is about to launch one of its signature policies, by making early childhood education and care more affordable.

From July, families will receive more money back in their pockets through the Child Care Subsidy. For a family on about $120,000 with a child in care three days a week, the changes will cut costs by about $1,700 a year. 

The Child Care Subsidy rates will also lift to 90 per cent for families on a combined income of $80,000 or less. 

Whilst the reform has been welcomed widely across the board, what impact would it have in Lismore? Families are still struggling to find places for their children, with massive waitlists and some centres still not open post-flood.

The Lismore App spoke to Caitlin Ireland, who is championing a cause for changes to the childcare sector – to make it more affordable for parents, and to try to incentivise more people to open childcare centres.

Caitlin is a member of a local Facebook group for Mums, with over 3,500 members, and has seen an increase in the need for more care.

“The feedback from Mums and parents in general is that they just can't find care… waitlists are about a year-long,” she said.

“A lot of mothers have been posting on this Facebook group, they are quite distressed, because financially with rising interest rates, it’s stressful not being able to go back to work.”

“The government has been saying this is a fantastic thing for families, that's going to help them so much, but nothing's really been done to make more childcare spots available, or to pay childcare workers better.”

“I wrote to the Minister about all of this… obviously I'm not an expert on this subject, I am just a parent who's got a child in childcare, but there is so much that could be done.”

Caitlin recently wrote to the Minister, through Janelle Saffin’s office. She outlines the situation in Lismore, and some recommendations on what could be done. It can be read in full below:

My name is Caitlin Ireland, and I am writing to you on behalf of several concerned parents in the Northern Rivers area.

I am a mother and a lawyer, and as somebody who is in a position of privilege, I feel it is very important to raise awareness on the lack of availability of early childhood education in the Northern Rivers.

I am a member of a ‘mum group’ on Facebook which has over 3500 members. It is rare a day goes by that somebody does not post about seeking a daycare spot. It is particularly distressing to see women who are frightened about their financial situations and need to return to work but are unable to do so.

Without access to childcare not only are parents not able to financially support their families, but there are significant mental health and social impacts this can have on families, such as reduced superannuation payments and less opportunities for career progression.

While lifting the maximum childcare subsidy rate to 90 per cent and other financial measures are certainly welcome, this won’t do anything to help workforce participation if childcare can’t be accessed in the first case.

After the devastating floods of 2022 our area is struggling more than most. I personally lost the daycare my son originally attended. This centre is still yet to reopen. I was extremely fortunate to find another spot, but it took approximately two months. During this time, I applied for in-home care and while the staff were helpful and wonderful to speak to, the process was confusing, and the criteria was not reasonable. It was also an incredibly lengthy process, which was not helpful during a period in which our area was considered a national emergency.

It is clear to anyone who has anything remotely to do with the early childhood sector that finding educators is a huge issue. Many in the industry say that the pay is not enough to attract adequate and quality staff.

I will not pretend that I have the answer to this widespread issue, but I, and many others would like the government to consider some possible strategies:

1.   Incentives for childcare educators or those wishing to study early childhood education;

2.   Reducing red tape around the In-Home Care option;

3.   Incentives and perhaps a more active approach to setting up family daycares; and

4.   Access to the CCS for a nanny or nanny-share program.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

The Lismore App last week contacted the NSW Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car, but has not yet received a response.