Unveiled: Scotch College subsidiary announces plans for new Mount Gambier childcare centre

One of Adelaide’s most elite private schools has announced plans to build a new childcare centre in the South East. See the plans.

Plans for a new childcare centre in Mount Gambier are expected to help ease the burden on the region’s long waiting lists, but an expert has warned staffing the new venture will prove challenging.

Demand for childcare is at an all-time high for parents in the city, with only five centres in Mount Gambier currently having vacancies open, according to Care for Kids.

Scotch Enterprises, a commercial subsidiary of Scotch College, has lodged plans to build a new childcare centre on the outskirts of the city in Suttontown.

Beyond Early Learning, a sister to the Adelaide-based college, will cater for children from six months old to school age.

Scotch Enterprises chief executive Richard Stone said the Beyond team had also been working with local real estate agent David Herbert to secure a site, along with holding discussions with local planning consultants, engineers and builders.

“There is a significant shortage of places in the region, and while we’re a new operator in this sector, we know that we can bring 100 years of experience to the South East,” Mr Stone said.

Mr Stone said it was too early to release details on how much it would cost parents to send their children to the centre, or how many children it would accommodate.

The Beyond Early Learning approval process is still in its early stages, with Scotch Enterprises currently seeking its Approved Provider Licence through the Education Standards Board.

Mount Gambier Child Care Centre director Fiona Paltridge welcomed the news and said additional childcare centres in the region would help alleviate current demand.

“We are currently experiencing anything between eight to 12-month waiting lists,” Mrs Paltridge said.

“Even when we do find a space for a family, it’s usually only meeting their partial needs – for example they might require four days a week and we might be able to meet two or three days.”

Mrs Paltridge said in the past 18 months, care for infants between zero and two was most in demand.

However, though a new childcare centre will make for a “happier community of parents” Mrs Paltridge said finding enough educators would be a challenge given the national shortage.

“There is absolutely not enough staff nationally. So this is going to be the concern that any new childcare centre has,” she said.

“The current industry is facing one of the largest shortages of qualified educators that we’ve ever seen.”