United Workers Union survey demonstrates impact of workforce crisis

A survey of 1,000 early childhood education and care (ECEC) services across Australia has revealed the impact of workforce shortages across the sector on children, families and professionals in the sector, showing 95 per cent of respondents had experienced staff turnover in the past 12 months, with nearly 80 per cent having lost three or more team members. 

Over 90 per cent of respondents had current vacancies in their team, and of those, more than half had three or more vacancies, the bulk of which had been open for longer than three months, and more than a quarter of which had been open for 12 months or more. 

“These damning results paint a picture of a sector where educators are hurting, and which can’t meet the needs of families,” said Helen Gibbons, United Workers Union Director of Early Education.

“For too long poverty wages have driven educators away, and now there just aren’t enough educators left to deliver the services children need. This cannot go on.”

Demand for ECEC is high, with nearly 90 per cent of those who participated in the survey saying they had waitlists of families who were hoping to enrol. Even after securing an enrolment, families are facing challenges in accessing the care they need, with 79 per cent of services saying that enrolled families don’t have access to the number of days they need. 

For the professionals who have remained in services, concerns about children’s educational outcomes are front of mind, with 75 per cent of respondents saying this was a major worry. 

As well as worrying about children, 87 per cent of respondents agreed that the staffing shortages of the past 12 months have impacted the wellbeing or safety of educators.

When services are unable to secure agency staff to meet ratio they are taking on other measures such as closing early, turning children away, partially closing the centre, combining different age groups or “shuffling children around the rooms” in an attempt to meet supervision requirements and ratios.

“Access to quality early education and care is the universal right of every child. When families cannot access appropriate education and care for their children, they cannot work. The early education sector is vital to families and children and without it, our economy grinds to a halt,” Ms Gibbons said.

“These damning results paint a picture of a sector where educators are hurting, and which can’t meet the needs of families.”

To access the findings in full please see here. Key findings are also available on a state and territory basis, using the links below. 

NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, ACT, TAS, and NT.