Twenty-three councils in South Australia’s Grey electorate are undertaking a campaign to highlight the lack of childcare options and the impact this has on children and families.
The Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project was launched following the State Government’s response to the 2022-23 SA Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care.
A 2022 study by the Mitchell Institute found South Australia’s federal electorate of Grey to be the nation’s worst when it comes to childcare accessibility.
The Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA) has provided funding to support the campaign.
Many parents in regional communities are unable to work or forced to travel long distances because of limited, or non-existent, childcare options.
The Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project is asking the federal and state governments to invest more in childcare services in Grey and help parents be part of South Australia’s thriving regional economy.
The 23 councils leading the campaign are seeking to raise awareness of the flow-on effects for early childhood development, workforce attraction and retention, and economic development opportunities, and to gain support for action to address this issue.
In addition to directly engaging 2025 federal election candidates and currently serving Members of Parliament, the Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project is running a social media campaign to tell personal stories of the impacts of this issue and demonstrate broad community support for government action.
Councils and communities can help promote the campaign by following its Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages, and encouraging others to do the same.
