There are a lot of aspects that disrupt life after a catastrophic event like we have suffered in Lismore and the Northern Rivers.

Some are obvious while others, unless it directly affects you, you don't think about until someone tells you a story.

This story is about childcare and how a difficult and tight market just became impossible if your child was enrolled in a childcare centre that was flooded.

Caitlin Ireland was a point in case.

Her son's daycare was destroyed in the floods and has been told it is likely to be 12 months before they open their doors again. Caitlin and her partner began the hunt for another childcare centre and were told there is a 6 to 12 month waiting period.

How many centres did Caitlin contact?

1. Blinkys

2. Sandhills

3. Koolbeanz

4. Friends (St Vincents)

5. Mirabelle

6. Bumblebees

7. SCU daycare

8. Family daycare (in Lismore & Ballina)

9. Care-ring

10. Nestle; and

11. In Home Support

Already disheartened, Caitlin explored the In Home Support Agency for NSW option. Caitlin was told she had to prove there was no available childcare option within 56km to qualify. That means Mount Burrell to the north of Lismore of Mummulgum to the west or Byron Bay if you can get it. Byron works in Byron Bay or would if she could find childcare.

This is the letter Caitlin was sent stating the criteria she needed to pass.

In Home Care Support Agencies must ensure that sufficient evidence is gathered to support their assessment of a family and is retained by the IHC Support Agency. 

Please submit the following relevant supporting evidence:

• Letter of Assessment from Centrelink. Parents or carers’ can obtain via their MyGov account once assessed for CCS eligibility.
• Written statements or emails from approved childcare services expressing the unavailability of places, or the inability to provide service at the time needed by the family, or the inability to provide services that meet the childcare needs of the family.

As well as the above, the below evidence will need to be provided for families accessing IHC due to geographical isolation:

• Indication of distance to the closest approved childcare service that might otherwise have met the family’s requirements; for example, advice from a FDC Coordination Unit or a Centre-based Day Care service to this effect.
• Statutory declaration indicating distance to the closest approved childcare service prohibits attendance at the service.

The following activities are outside the scope of IHC: 

 •            household chores such as cleaning, shopping and meal preparation, unless undertaken in relation to caring for the child/children in the session of care

 •            education and care provided by unqualified educators, except where exemptions apply

 •            support services not directly related to early childhood education and care, including parental support and disability support

 •            multi-care (i.e. where care is provided for children from more than one family)

 •            transport only (i.e. the session of care cannot be only for the purposes of transporting children)

 •            any activities out of scope of CCS 

 •            allied health services 

 •            supervision of distance education and home schooling

 •            respite care 

 •            any other activities unrelated to early childhood education

As a family accessing In Home Care, your responsibilities are outlined in the IHC National Guidelines 3.4.1. Families' Key responsibilities, the family will be asked to:

•          provide the necessary details to the IHC Support Agency to assist with the preparation of the Family Management Plan

•          submit a claim for CCS to Services Australia

•          update their details with Services Australia (via their MyGov account), where there is a change in the family’s circumstances

•          advise the IHC Support Agency and the IHC Service when:

         – there is a change in family circumstances, or

         – the family has concerns in relation to the education and care being provided

•          take all the necessary steps to ensure the physical environment is safe for the provision of care, both for the children and the educator

•          give the IHC Service access to the family home to facilitate a safety assessment of the home before care commences

•          agree to participate in evaluation activities and work with the organisation engaged by the department to conduct the evaluation.

Finally, Caitlin secured a position at the brand new Harmony Childcare facility in Bangalow. The Department of Education was due to visit about a month ago so they could walk through and do the official sign-off to open the doors.

We all know what happened between February 28 until the end of last week, causing more delays for the opening of this new facility.

"Understandably this was delayed due to the floods but they are still waiting to even hear from the Department is my understanding," Caitlin said, "It just seems insane to me that there is a brand new childcare centre sitting there, ready to go, which cannot operate because the Department of Education can't organise a visit."

"Families are now more desperate than ever for childcare due to the floods. We have been living off a single, part-time income since the 28 February floods because of this."

The latest update is that the Department of Education has completed their visit which went well. Caitlin understands that Harmony will open on Monday.

As we mentioned at the start of this story, there are so many hardships that the people of Lismore and the Northern Rivers are experiencing. Government organisations playing it by the book doesn't help when you are living through a natural disaster.