‘Families leaving town’: Broome childcare report reveals worrying state of family services in Kimberley

There are more than 300 childcare spots needed in Broome to meet demand, a joint report between the Shire and the Chamber of Commerce has revealed. Conducted by the Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with the Shire of Broome, the report revealed some 25 families were considering, or had already made plans to leave Broome due to the town’s childcare crisis. Of the more than 200 respondents, 70 per cent were currently on a daycare waitlist with 50 per cent being on a list for more than six months. The situation had also had a negative impact on local business, with 30 per cent of families who want to work unable to do so. Of the families who can work, 50 percent of them had to reduce their work hours while 10 per cent had to leave work entirely to take care of their children. Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Sharni Foulkes said the lack of childcare places was hindering families from accessing employment. “When you look at the 44 per cent of families that don’t have access and the 30 per cent of families that want to work but are unable to, out of the 200 people surveyed that’s 60 potential staff members right there,” she said. Ms Foulkes said, in light of a staff shortages also being felt town-wide, businesses had been forced to make adjustments so parents could work. “Businesses are being more innovative with offering family-friendly approaches, by letting people bring their children into work,” she said. “There’s a lot of businesses that are also having to reduce their staff hours because of availability and there’s businesses that are losing staff because they’re unable to access care.” The quality of care was also a concern, with some respondents fearing they may lose their childcare spot if they made a complaint to the provider. In August, in an effort it help ease the demand for childcare, the State Government announced it was looking for expressions of interest to build a childcare centre on a newly released commercial block in Broome North’s Warranyjarri Estate. The centre is expected to provide space for up to 90 children but there has been no indication of when the centre would be operational. It comes after the Advertiser reported year-long waiting lists for childcare in Broome and a Victoria University report that labelled the Kimberley a “childcare desert”.