Horsham Council looks to create additional ECEC places as community scrambles for availability

Victoria’s Horsham Council is looking to create an additional 93 long day care (LDC) places at its Kalkee Road facility as community members express concern about waiting lists continuing to grow. 

 

A 2022 study found that at least 300 children in the region are on waiting lists for care. Jasmine Weatherington is one of them, still waiting for a place after signing up her now 15-month-old son before he was born. 

 

Her capacity to perform her critical role – as the National Disability Insurance Scheme support coordinator at Grampians Community Health – is hampered by what she termed “the acute shortage of long day care” in her home town of Horsham.

 

In November, after maternity leave, Ms Weatherington returned to work for two days a week at Grampians Community Health, but soon added an extra day, she shared with the ABC. 

 

“My client load has gone up and we need to be able to take on those clients,” she said.

 

“So I’m at a point now where I need to go back for five days. I can’t do it, because there’s no childcare.”

 

Her son has been on the waiting list at five different services since before his birth, and Ms Weatherington is only able to work presently because of care provided by relatives. 

 

In response, the Council has agreed to seek expressions of interest from providers to care for 93 children at its Kalkee Road Children’s and Community Hub. Emerge Early Learning Services provides a kindergarten service at the council-owned facility.

 

The meeting heard Emerge has secured approximately $2 million in state funding to move into two new buildings on Rasmussen Road by 2024. Mayor Robyn Gulline said the move would give the Council the capacity to offer the Kalkee Road premises to a long day care provider.

 

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