Rural families call for unilateral support of Building Early Education Fund

Organisations including the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association, The Parenthood, GrainGrowers, the National Farmers’ Federation, and independent politicians are calling for all sides of politics to commit to the  $1 billion Building Early Education Fund ahead of the 3 May election.

The fund, recently announced by the Federal Government, will bankroll the creation of more than 160 new early learning services in areas of most need, and rural families are hoping that these centres will go some way to addressing statistics which show that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of Australia’s regional communities are classified as childcare deserts. 

Kirsty Starling is a mother, nurse, sheep and beef farmer from Kingston, South Australia, and is part of a movement which has been seeking better early childhood education and care (ECEC) for regional and rural children for more than 40 years. 

“We want access and we want choice for our children,” she said. “When my children were young, our local rural care service had a waitlist of over 35 families. Families in my local town have been fighting for child care for over 40 years. Intergenerational women have suffered and so have their families.”

The future of Australia’s farming families, GrainGrowers CEO Shona Gawel said, depends on the Building Early Education Fund.

“This is about ensuring country kids get the same head start in life as city kids,” Ms Gawel said.

“We know that quality early learning is critical for cognitive development, social skills, and school readiness. We need our elected politicians and candidates to commit to these vital services.”

The varying needs of farming families must be taken into consideration, Ms Starling continued, when proposing any solutions to this challenge, given that when it comes to these families “there is no one size fits all.”

“Isolated and station families need unique solutions,” she said. “They cannot travel to centre based daycare because of the distances they will need to travel and their geographic location keeps them more isolated. They need access to subsidies for in-home care solutions. Rural areas are begging to be heard. It’s time to listen.”