Centre managers reveal how Cairns parents can navigate the daunting childcare journey
Finding the right childcare across Cairns is not as easy as you think as centres reveal the dos and don’ts for parents for a seamless journey. HOW TO FIND CHILDCARE
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YOU are pregnant. Yeeha!
What an exciting time for any couple, whether it be their first child or adding to a growing family.
But after the initial celebration there’s no time to waste if you want to avoid missing out on the childcare centre you have your heart set on.
That’s the clear message to parents from several of the most sought after facilities in Cairns and their directors, with the onset of global pandemic in 2020 spreading its challenges to the daycare and early learning sectors.
More “Covid babies”, an unprecedented shift of southerners relocating to Cairns and an alarming shortage of qualified staff have put the squeeze on intakes, and also piled the pressure on newbie mums and dads to get prepared early.
Smithfield Early Learning Centre director Kim Dunbar, who already has 39 families on a waiting list for her facility, said parents should be picking up the phone “as soon as they’re pregnant”.
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“The minute they’ve fallen they should be putting them on a list, start looking 12 months ahead,” she said.
“We have so many mums that will call us in December and they want their child to start in January.
“It’s just not going to happen.”
GET PREPARED
Cairns Central Child Care Centre director, Shanice Robson, said one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today was a lack of education for expecting parents.
Her Draper Street centre has a waiting list for babies aged up to two-year-old for 2023, and said the younger they were, the harder it is for them to get placed.
“It is very overwhelming when you have just had a baby or you are still pregnant, but they need to be looking well over a year in advance,” she said.
“That is actually the biggest issue, not the centre or the staffing but parents don’t know when they should be seeking options.
“If you have your heart set on a specific place then you need to be doing you homework and doing it early.”
Edge Hill Child Care Centre director Helen Pattinson said her centre also had a wait for the young ones aged 15 months to four.
“We are not a big centre, we are privately owned, and our wait list is basically until someone actually leaves,” she said.
Just Kids approved provider Hayley Williams, whose Draper Street and Gordonvale centres take 171 kids and have more than 50 staff, said the workforce shortage was her biggest concern.
“It’s not just about wait times,” she said.
“Childcare is highly regulated to ratios, we can’t just have a few kids here and there.
“We not only need humans in front of them but humans who are qualified.”
SHOP AROUND:
Ms Robson said choosing the right facility and type of daycare was a crucial part of the journey and a “big responsibility”.
“Families trust us with their pride and joy so you want to shop around,” she said.
“Spend that time when you are pregnant or with bub and go and have a look at all the centres and find somewhere that works for you.”
Ms Pattinson agreed, saying word of mouth on the best centres was not enough.
“Families need to shop around, your heart will always tell you,” she said.
“Go in and see it for yourself and if it’s right for you.
“Sometimes it’s the feel you get when you just walk in, the vibe of a place.”
Ms Pattinson said despite experiencing more “Covid babies” over the past two years at her Edge Hill facility, there was “more than enough” childcare centres across Cairns.
“Without particular centre the demand due to a number of circumstances, like families moving from down south up to live up here,” she said.
“A lot of our new families are from out of town.”
FAMILY DAY CARE
Enrolling in Family Day Care is another option that suits some families.
The scheme, which offers kids from birth to 12 more personalised care in small groups usually in a home environment, works well for Cairns mother-of-three Aimee Creighton.
She takes her nine, six and four-year-old children to the Marlin Coast Family Day Care scheme.
“The big difference is they don’t separate with different rooms, like there is no baby room, toddler room and kindergarten room,” she said.
“My kids are all at the one spot and they are all together, which is really nice.
“I’ve known my kids’ carers since I was about 12 myself so there was no question about where they were going.”
CALL CENTRE LINK
Pelicans in The City Centre One manager Jana Hernandez said the first thing she instructs parents when a child is born is to apply for child care subsidies through Centrelink.
Her facility, which takes 88 kids per day, is already nearing capacity for its six week to two-year age group.
“We need this for the child to start, otherwise they have to pay full fees until Centrelink approves everything, and that can take up to four weeks.”
Ms Robson said learning about subsidies and the Centrelink process should be added to pre-natal education.
“We need a pre-natal class that doesn’t just teach us how to breath but also how to navigate Centrelink and when they should be having these conversations,” she said.
“Parents are looking for childcare but they actually don’t realise they need to tell them in advance that they are trying to come in, otherwise they won’t be eligible for a CRN (customer reference number).
ENJOY THE JOURNEY
Having a family is a joyous and often daunting time, but the childcare process doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
“Getting prepared is the key,” Ms Creighton said.
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