REGIONAL communities are facing a challenge of a different kind in 2022, with much of the residents living in a "childcare desert", according to a recent report.
The report, which was released late last month by Victoria University, showed more than 816,000 South Australians lived in an area without adequate childcare places.
A whopping 82 per cent of those in regional communities are affected by the shortage, living where three or more children aged under four vied for just one childcare vacancy.
In the Yorke Peninsula, there are 8.98 children per one spot in childcare, 7.94 children in the Mid North vie for a spot, while there is one spot per 7.04 kids in the Eyre Peninsula and South West.
Comparatively, children living in metropolitan Adelaide, Norwood, Payneham and St Peters, Walkerville and Prospect, and Burnside are in competition with less than two kids for each vacancy.
The Barossa is the least affected by the childcare crisis in regional SA, with less than four children per vacancy, with the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island facing similar rates.
The Limestone Coast, Outback, Lower North and Murray Mallee are all home to five children per childcare vacancy.
Not only were there inadequate spaces in existing childcare centres, towns such as Tumby Bay, Kingston SE and Mannum had no childcare provisions at all.
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The research found childcare places were concentrated in the wealthiest areas and close to major job centres, with a correlation between areas with higher childcare fees and childcare availability.
The sector receives $11 billion a year in federal government funding via the childcare subsidy with parents contributing up to $6.8b, but despite this, received two economic bailouts during the pandemic and is facing further economic challenges related to attracting and retaining skilled educators.
Member for Mackillop Nick McBride said he was acutely aware of the lack of childcare spaces in regional SA and the impact it had on young families.
"The availability and delivery of childcare can provide an important early learning foundation for many of our very young children, setting them up for success in schooling and life," he said.
"There is unmet demand for childcare services in many of our towns - I am keen to see the provision of more childcare places and ensuring we are making the best use of resources through greater coordination and integration between our education sector and childcare services.
"The federal government's childcare subsidy is a welcome financial support however, it is only helpful if you can access a childcare place."
The federal division of Grey is one of the worst hit, with MP Rowan Ramsey praising the federal government's budget commitment of $19.4 million across five years to establish a new round of the Community Childcare Fund to support the establishment of new childcare services in rural, remote and regional areas.
He said steps towards adequate childcare services included a body that was determined establish facilities and ensure a competent operator is engaged.
"If there is no private interest, the best options are either forming a community organisation with the intent of establishing a running a centre or to convince local council to take a role either to establish and run a facility or establish and lease to a private provider," he said.
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