Supply & Demand

Tree changers put pressure on regional areas, with increased demand for ECEC services

Freya Lucas

Aug 10, 2021

Save

New South Wales-based Braidwood Preschool will expand to meet growing demand for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in the area, which has risen in line with an increasing number of young families making the move from larger cities to more regional areas.

The preschool, which currently accommodates 30 children, will expand to add an additional 20 places thanks to $520,000 in funding from the NSW Government.

There is currently a waitlist of 30 children, with demand from existing families for additional days. Angela Backhouse, president of the Pre-School committee shared with local publication Braidwood Times.

The expansion, Ms Backhouse said, has been kept in mind for some years, and has been fuelled by an increase of young families moving to, or returning to, town, marking what she described as a population shift.

At Bungendore Preschool Director Kim Brodrick said she has turned away several eligible children because the service is “packed to capacity”.

"The situation for next year looks similar,” she told the paper. “This year, we could only accommodate 71 children and there are 130 children already on the waitlist for next year."

One regional success story, however, is the creation of a three year old classroom for the Queanbeyan and District Preschool Association, something which Nicky McCarthy, managing director of the association said has “great potential to help address the current significant, and growing, unmet need for preschool places in the Queanbeyan district.”

"The unmet need is also a consequence of strong growth in the Queanbeyan population over the past decade (which is projected to continue going forward), combined with historic under-investment in preschool infrastructure," she explained.

To read the original coverage of this story please see here.

Don’t miss a thing

1000 new free preschool places to open in the Hunter, NSW Government announces

A major investment in public preschools is set to create 1,000 new places for young children across the Hunter region, as part of the NSW Government’s plan to expand access to free early learning.

Expanding access to early education in regional South Australia: New investment brings services closer to families

Access to quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is central to children’s development, family wellbeing and community prosperity. In a significant joint commitment, the Albanese and Malinauskas governments have announced a major expansion of early learning infrastructure in regional South Australia, delivering new and expanded services where families need them most.

Stunning Sydney childcare centre sells for $11.5 million

A newly completed childcare centre in Sydney’s south-west has sold for $11.5 million reflecting a 5.26 per cent yield highlighting continued investor demand for defensive assets with long-term income security.

Four new kindergartens to open in Greater Geelong in Term 1 2026

Families in the City of Greater Geelong can lodge expressions of interest for four new kindergartens scheduled to open in Term 1, 2026, expanding local access to sessional kindergarten as communities continue to grow.

Rural families may have “three days” on paper, but access still hinges on supply and In Home Care rules

Most of the early childhood sector is across the basics of the 3 Day Guarantee. The sharper question for rural and remote communities is whether a larger subsidy entitlement can be converted into actual hours of care when services are scarce, distances are long, and the only viable option is often In Home Care (IHC).

1000 new free preschool places to open in the Hunter, NSW Government announces

A major investment in public preschools is set to create 1,000 new places for young children across the Hunter region, as part of the NSW Government’s plan to expand access to free early learning.