Regional WA Childcare Crisis Forces Parents to Turn Down Work or Commute Hours
A critical childcare shortage in regional Western Australia is forcing working parents to take unpaid leave or decline job opportunities, while others are commuting to Perth or neighbouring towns to access care. Parents, childcare providers, and educators have shared insights into WA’s "childcare deserts," where the economic and social wellbeing of communities is being threatened by a lack of affordable, accessible care.
Personal Struggles Highlight Broader Issues
Narrogin mother Candy Taylor, a research scientist with the CSIRO, commutes to Perth every week so her daughter, Lexie, can attend childcare while she works. Unable to secure a local spot in Narrogin, she drives to Perth on Mondays and returns home on Fridays. When she inquired about a planned new childcare centre, she was advised to drive to neighbouring Williams or Wickepin, which would involve two hours of daily driving. "It feels easier to manage to go to Perth once a week and drive on the day I’m not working," she said. "It’s challenging. In the interim, lots of parents are driving to neighbouring towns but that sounds like a nightmare too."
In Kununurra, dozens of families remain without childcare three months after the town’s main daycare centre closed suddenly in early December. Ewin Early Learning has reopened at reduced capacity, but local business owners Bec and Luke McMullin are juggling work while caring for their two sons full-time. Mrs McMullin, who runs a tree and vegetation management business, has both children on the waitlist. "It’s been pretty stressful and we don’t have family support here. There are a lot of parents in similar situations, we help each other out with the kids and we are just making do," she said. The crisis has significantly impacted their business, with her husband taking on administrative tasks, pulling him from day-to-day operations.
Industry and Community Impacts
Regional operator Kids On Childcare has opened new services in Kalgoorlie and Esperance to meet growing demand. Area manager Chloe Bennett, with 23 years of experience, noted that attracting and retaining staff has become increasingly challenging due to a lack of suitable and affordable housing. "Families move to regional towns to make a life, but it’s got to the point where only one parent is working because of limited care opportunities, or families are turning down job opportunities because full-time care isn’t available," she said. Bennett highlighted that children are missing crucial development opportunities, with some in Esperance turning four without ever being in an early learning environment.
Regional Early Education and Development (REED) has 26 services across WA, including in Narrogin where 22 children are on its waiting list. REED chair Wendy Newman said the centre is limited by its licence cap but plans to expand. Out-of-school-hours care is also urgently needed, with REED closing its service in 2024 due to issues finding a suitable premises. Across eight services, there is a waitlist of 34 places due to staffing shortages. Newman welcomed the Federal Government’s 15 per cent pay rise for educators but noted housing remains a barrier.
Calls for Government Action
Australian Childcare Alliance WA spokesman Frits Grader described the situation in regional and remote WA as "very challenging," with the Midwest region, Port Hedland, and Kununurra hardest hit. High attraction costs, lack of housing, and increasing rents are major barriers. Grader called for governments to prioritise affordable housing, additional funding for rural childcare centres, and potential payroll tax exemptions for rural providers.
A recent Federal inquiry into child safety concerns was told about childcare deserts, with nearly 700,000 people living in areas with little or no access. Lobby group The Parenthood highlighted that families face severely constrained options due to financial and geographic limitations. The Australian Childcare Alliance emphasised the need for better coordination across all tiers of government to prevent oversupply and ensure underserved communities are not overlooked.
