Call on Perrottet & Minns to fix worsening labour shortages for ECEC sector

As labour shortages across the early childhood education and care sector worsen dramatically, ACA NSW has called on both the NSW Premier (the Hon Dominic Perrottet MP) and NSW Opposition Leader (Mr Chris Minns MP) to personally and directly intervene.

We have shared our September 2022 members’ survey with them, highlighting the following as key concerns:

• a forecast of at least 10.89% reduction in the number of places offered (with the range being 3.85% to 50%)
• 31.5% of services are Likely or Very Likely to Temporarily Close for 1 or more days
• 58.4% of services are Likely or Very Likely to Reduce Their Number of Places Offered
• 79.6% of services are Likely or Very Likely to Lose More Educators
• 94.4% of services are Unlikely or Very Unlikely to successfully Recruit Quality Educators

And even though the NSW Department of Education has sought viable solutions from the sector that they could implement, our members are responding that 83.33% do not believe the NSW Department of Education has provided sufficient flexibility and support (non-financial and financial) during 2022 to address the challenges they are facing (see Attachment A-5).

ACA NSW predicts at least 34,000 NSW-based families with children aged 0-5 years old enrolled in ECEC services may not have access to their ECEC services for at least one or more days during September to December 2022.

To assist, a list of potential solutions has been provided. They can immediately provide substantive and immediate assistance to NSW’s ECEC services, thereby temporarily addressing the abovementioned challenges facing NSW’s ECEC sector. In turn, they can assist in keeping ECEC services operational for all NSW-based children aged 0-5 years old and their families.

For any further information/clarification, please contact the ACA NSW team on 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.

PUBLISHED: 28 SEPTEMBER 2022