Long childcare centre waitlists in Maribyrnong
Hundreds of families in Melbourne’s inner west are struggling to get their kids into child care, with one centre’s waitlist topping 500.
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Hundreds of Maribyrnong families are struggling to get their children into child care due to massive waitlists in centres across the inner-west.
A Leader investigation revealed some child care centres had waitlists soaring into the hundreds, with one centre in Yarraville holding a mega-list of around 500 families.
The lengthy waitlists are forcing parents to turn away in droves and refrain from returning to work in order to look after their children.
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Mother Becky Robinson, who is pregnant with a baby boy, said she would have no choice but to stay at home if she can’t get her son into child care.
“We have no family in Australia, so how on earth are we going to get back into the workforce?” she said.
“It’s quite frightening … we are not optimistic at this stage.”
The Leader called 10 privately-run childcare centres across Maribyrnong, including centres in Yarraville, Footscray, Maidstone, Braybrook, Maribyrnong and Kingsville.
Out of the 10 centres, just four had vacancies for the beginning of next year.
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While the other centres had waitlists stretching from 65 to a whopping 500 families, with no vacancies for around two years or more.
President of Australian Childcare Alliance Paul Mondo said the inner-west, in particularly Yarraville, was an area known for its under supply of child care due to its industrial location.
“There have been examples of service permits not being approved in Yarraville, because it borders industrial precincts,” Mr Mondo said.
“It’s finding suitable land, which is not an easy get in Yarraville.”
Mother Bonnie Smart said it took five years for her firstborn daughter Ada, to be offered a place at a Yarraville childcare centre.
“By the time they offered us a place, we didn’t need it anymore,” she said.
“There are not enough spaces, it makes you really angry.”
Ms Smart, who works four days as a nurse, now relies on family to care for her 1 year-old daughter Eleanora.
She is currently number 49th on the waitlist for a childcare centre.
“It’s disappointing Council can’t offer a better service.”
“We need more centres, it’s a real problem.”
Maribyrnong Council maintains the waitlist for 16 childcare centres in Maribyrnong through a centralised registration system.
Director of Community Services Clem Gillings could not confirm to the Leader the number of families on waitlists.
But Mr Gillings said the Council was finalising the Early Years Infrastructure Plan which would look at the upgrades needed for centres in high demand areas.
Mr Mondo advised parents struggling to get their kids into child care, to branch out to other areas in the west or try centres closer to their workplace.
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