Following Mr Crouch’s sponsorship of Bensville mum Jess Coulson’s e-petition calling for action on the childcare situation in the Central Coast, Mr Crouch raised the issue in the New South Wales Parliament.
“More and more parents are coming forward to talk about their own experiences in trying to access childcare on the Central Coast, and it’s an important part of my role as a Member of Parliament to raise these issues in Parliament.”
“Frankly, having to apply to upwards of 20 childcare centres within an hour travel radius for a slim chance to secure childcare is simply not acceptable for local families and is a constant source of frustration and anxiety.” he said.
While speaking in Parliament, Mr Crouch spoke on both the impacts on parents but childcare centre operators who struggled to operate to full capacity due to staff shortages.
Mr Crouch said that the sector is grappling with a shortage of qualified staff leading to burnout and excessive working hours and that a two-pronged approach with the Federal Government was required to make meaningful change.
“It’s simple to build brand new centres like the government is proposing, there is no point if we cannot adequately staff them to meet the needs of families.”
“While there was an increase in the Children’s Service Award, it is still not enough to be an attractive career path for prospective educators – you can earn more working as a call-centre operator than a children’s services employee.”
Speaking in the chamber Mr Crouch thanked the dozens of families who contacted his office about the impacts of the childcare situation on the Coast and encouraged Coasties to sign the e-petition.