South Australia’s most in-demand suburbs for childcare revealed

Demand for daycare has surged as childcare staff vacancies hit a record high. See the full list of South Australia’s suburbs most impacted.

Exclusive: Childcare queues are growing longer as working parents flock back to the office – but many centres are now struggling to find staff due to “no jab, no job’’ rules.

Demand for daycare has surged since Covid-19 lockdowns were lifted last month, exclusive data reveals.

Australian Childcare Alliance vice-president Nesha Hutchinson warned that Covid-19 vaccination mandates would worsen staff shortages if South Australia follows NSW in making the jab a condition of work.

She estimated that 5 per cent to 10 per cent of staff are refusing to be vaccinated and will be unable to work in daycare centres.

Australian Childcare Alliance NSW president Nesha Hutchinson. Picture: Supplied

Ms Hutchinson said many older workers, at the highest risk of Covid-19 illness, had quit the childcare sector during the pandemic.

“A number of educators aren’t exempt (from the jab mandate) but have chosen not to be vaccinated,’’ she said.

“We don’t know who’s going to turn up (for work).

“That means the workforce is at capacity and there are centres that have a cap on the number of children they are able to provide care for because they don’t have enough educators on the ground.

“Getting staff on the ground is at a premium across the country, so supply (of places) is lower than demand as people are going back to work.’’

Exclusive data from childcare comparison site Care for Kids reveals that searches for childcare last month were 27 per cent higher than in the three months of July, August and September together.

Adelaide's CBD is the most in-demand area for daycare in South Australia, as working parents demand daycare close to the office.

Parafield Gardens – home to 16 centres with an average daily fee of $104 is the second most in-demand suburb, followed by Golden Grove in the city’s outer north east, with fees of $126 per day.

The Parenthood executive director Georgie Dent.

The Parenthood executive director Georgie Dent said childcare staff vacancies were at “record highs’’.

“Services are really struggling to find educators and that is inevitably going to put pressure on a system,’’ she said.

“Early education and care is an essential service for parents to go to work.

“But there are lots of families around Australia struggling to find the care they need that matches their work schedule.

“It is difficult to get appropriate care on the appropriate days.’’

Care for Kids chief marketing officer Lauren Simpson said many parents who had worked from home during the pandemic were now searching for childcare.

“A lot of parents couldn’t access childcare due to lockdowns, or chose to keep their kids at home,’’ she said.

“Many parents were juggling family and work from home, but now they’ve started to go back to the office.

“Childcare is back on the agenda.’’

Ms Simpson said most parents sought childcare close to home or the office, to avoid an extra commute to collect children after work.

“Now that people are working more and more from home, it will be interesting to see if that changes,’’ she said.