Over 9 million people in Australia live in a childcare desert (Mitchell Institute, 2022).
A childcare desert is a populated area where there are more than three children per childcare place, or less than 0.333 places per child aged six or under.
Just over a third of Australia’s population live in a childcare desert. Chances are if you live in an outer-urban or regional area you’re in a desert.
Still, 28 per cent of major cities find themselves in childcare deserts. Therefore, it’s not just a regional problem.
Access to quality childcare is increasingly critical to Australian children, families, and the economy.
The places in Australia that have the highest proportion of childcare deserts are the places that have the lowest female participation rates in the workforce:
Affordability and accessibility of childcare is an extremely significant barrier for women’s equality in the workplace.
The Victorian Labor Government has committed $9 billion to ensure that from 2023 “Free Kinder” will be available for all Victorian three- and four-year-old children. As well as building 50 new government-owned and affordable childcare centres. Built in areas that have unmet demand, hoping to make it easier for families to access childcare.
In a statement on Premier Daniel Andrew’s website, he says “the childcare system has been set up to work against working families…”
“It’s bad for mums and their families. But it’s also bad for our state, as our economy misses out on their skills and experience. Lack of access to childcare takes almost 26,600 women entirely out of the workforce in Victoria and costs our economy $1.5 billion per year in lost earnings alone.”
Most deserts are in extremely disadvantaged areas, like Seymour in northern Victoria. An area with high rates of domestic violence, unemployment, and little options for childcare. Despite its growing population of young families – It only has “0.2 childcare places per child” (Mitchell Institute, 2022).
Regions with lower access to childcare also have lower levels of workforce participation for women who have a child aged under five. The opposite can be seen in regions where there are more childcare places available, like the Melbourne suburb of Toorak which has at least one childcare place per child. Supporting much higher female workforce participation.
Lack of childcare options for families, especially those living in rural and regional areas significantly limit women from re-entering the workforce, widening the gap of equality.
