Our 2023 report, 'Choiceless', sheds light on the limited access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) in regional, rural, and remote Australia and the consequences of this issue: children miss out on essential benefits, workforce shortages persist and towns suffer economically.
With 166 stories and case studies, Choiceless makes one thing clear: there is an urgent need for change. Read the report here.
The current early learning market falls short in the regions. This report calls for innovative strategies that go beyond a 'one size fits all' approach and deliver solutions that are tailored to each community.
"My son has been on the daycare waitlist since February 2022... While I'm very fortunate to have a [flexible] workplace and some family support in town, I'm still only able to work a small number of hours. We have friends who have left town." - Meredith Brown, Broome
"I work Wednesday to Saturday with unpredictable hours and am closed Sunday to Tuesday to be with my girls and to give my "Nanny" (my mother-in-law) a break... While she is actually retired it's like she has a full time job looking after my children so I can run my business. The guilt definitely kicks in." - Ally Smith, Barraba
"When the kids are on the farm you can question whether you're exposing them to things you shouldn't necessarily expose them to. Should they be on a sprayer? Maybe not. But you've got to do what you've got to do. Ideally, we would have daycare." - Alexandra Mackenzie, Minyip