Aidan Curtis
A CHILDCARE centre is feeling grateful its community is so understanding after needing to put a number of already limited spaces on hold.
Last week, Mount Gambier Child Care Centre on Derrington Street sent a letter to parents asking them to voluntarily hold their bookings after the sudden departure of a staff member.
In the letter, the centre acknowledged it was difficult to find available childcare and had been for some time, but legislative requirements meant they needed to reduce the number of children they looked after.
While it seemed like a big ask, the centre was grateful to see a very understanding response from parents who offered to do what they could to help.
Mount Gambier Child Care Centre chairperson Shelley Fisher said a lot of parents knew it was not the centre’s fault.
“We are very lucky to have the parents community around us that support us and it’s been quite positive,“ she said.
“We’ve had parents call us and say to us it’s not a problem and they’re happy to do what they can to help.“
Ms Fisher was especially grateful for the response, having seen similar issues as a parent too.
“You know that it’s a legal thing, but you also know that those ratios are there for a reason in order to keep the children safe,“ she said.
“As a parent, I personally have received emails from kindy asking to keep my child home simply because they don’t have the staff to be able to operate to the required ratios.
“It’s across the board and it’s difficult for any parent to balance that between work difficulties, let alone trying to find care or school placements for your children.“
Mount Gambier Child Care Centre assistant director and educator Jess Wilkin said even when the Centre is able to take those spots off hold, there will still be challenges for families in the area.
“The positions that we have available will alleviate some of the pressures, but they certainly won’t alleviate all of the pressures, and they’re not going to alleviate the pressures that families feel who are waiting for childcare,“ she said.
“The hardest thing for us is, even once we are able to reinstate the bookings that families very kindly placed on hold for us while we sort out this situation, I don’t think it’s going to sort out the other 80 on our waiting list.“
