State Government funding towards critical staff shortages in childcare facilities across regional WA

An Eaton childcare centre is hoping to recruit two new educators and help current staff further their qualifications after receiving a $25,000 State Government grant. It is one of 14 centres around WA to share in $1 million funding under a new round of grants aimed at attracting and retaining early childhood educators in regional WA, as staff shortages grip the State. The new round of State Government grants will go towards relocation allowances, subsidised accommodation and training. Community Services Minister Simone McGurk was at Eaton’s Goodstart Early Learning Centre in the State’s South West on Friday to announce the centre would received a $25,000 grant. “Early childhood education and care services are important not only for children’s socialisation and education, but also to support parents — especially women — to return to work,” Ms McGurk said. “We know that regional towns can face greater challenges in finding workers and the choice of early childhood education and care services on offer can be limited, and I’m pleased to see so many local governments applying for and receiving grants that will help bring workers to regional towns.” The centre was the only South West facility to receive funding under the program, despite critical shortages across the region. A Donnybrook centre was forced to close its doors for a week in June after staff contracted COVID-19, leaving about 60 families without any alternative child care. The situation is dire in towns like Augusta, which does not have childcare facilities at all, forcing families to trek to their nearest centre in Margaret River. Ms McGurk said the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent wave of Omicron in WA had seen staff shortages play out in child care settings. “That’s why we need to support childcare centres to have a good supply of available staff,” she said. “We need to understand that availability of child care in any regional area, close to jobs and communities, is crucial. “In smaller communities, of course, that’s very challenging.” One facility in the Great Southern, the Kojonup Childcare Centre, received $25,000 to attract and retain staff. Two Gascoyne centres received funding through the scheme. The Carnarvon shire received $35,500 towards day care facilities, while the Shire of Shark Bay received $25,000 to go towards rental assistance for a Denham early childhood educator. In the Wheatbelt, Pingelly Childcare Training Program received a boost of $18,250, the Team Cubby Project received $25,000 and Goomalling Childcare received a grant of $15,000. Mingenew childcare received $18,000 towards staff accommodation and staff attraction, while the Shire of Moora received $25,000 for it childcare service. In the Goldfields, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder was granted $20,750 towards a Child Care Educator Scholarship and the Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun Early Learning Centre received $18,000 to attract more staff. In the Kimberley, the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley received $17,340 to support its team and the Shire of Derby-West Kimberley was granted $25,000 towards its Childcare Workforce Support Funding Scheme. Port Hedland was granted $37,500 towards the town’s annual Community Childcare Grants Program.