Families in Lorne turn to new community initiative to fill ECEC gap with grandparent care

Families in the Victorian town of Lorne have turned to a new community-driven initiative that aims to create a roster of informal care options as a “band-aid solution” to keep workers and families in the town.

Two concepts – Dial a Grandparent and Lorne Babysitters Club – were floated during a public meeting, the ideas of Lorne artist and business owner Anna McIldowie. 

Ms McIldowie said that for many families in Lorne, there are simply no early childhood education and care (ECEC) options. Early in 2022, Lorne Community House was reduced to one part-time educator restricted to looking after a maximum of four children, with between 20 and 30 families being told they had no access to ECEC in Lorne.

Compounding the issue, affordable housing for workers in Lorne has become more challenging to find because of the dual complications of the rental crisis and rising interest rates. As a result, there are a lack of options for those in lower paid sectors such as ECEC and hospitality. 

“At the start of this year, we thought we were going to have at least two educators working in (Lorne Community House), and then right at the beginning, on the Monday, we were told there was no second educator,” Ms McIldowie shared with the Surf Coast Times. 

“So of all the families who thought they had places, many were told their child could no longer go. (ECEC) has been insecure for a long time, and this was the final straw, and it felt like we were in crisis,” she added.

It was against this backdrop that many of the older people in the community began to speak out at meetings saying “what can we do? How can we help?” 

Ms McIldowie said her Dial a Grandparent and Lorne Babysitters Club ideas would widen the already existing arrangements between some families, but would be a “very temporary” solution only until more secure ECEC places were created.

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