There is a shortfall of places in local childcare centres to meet the needs of the community, and there simply aren’t enough educators and teachers. This means centres are unable to operate at full capacity, and it’s having a flow-on effect to working families. Without care, parents’ ability to fully participate in the workforce is limited (which predominantly impacts women); and there’s an impact on business productivity for their employers.

But most importantly, a lack of available places impacts young children, who lose the opportunity to participate fully in quality early learning. The majority of brain development occurs between birth and 5 years of age, and we know those early childhood experiences set the foundations for a child’s future development and learning outcomes. Kids in country Queensland deserve a chance to participate in quality early childhood education, to give them the best start in life.

The CLA, along with the generous support of The Local Buying Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, is providing educators in Moranbah and Dysart with the opportunity to participate in a bespoke leadership and professional networking program, Care to Lead.

This program has been developed in consultation with educators, and aims to provide opportunities for professional and personal growth, professional networking, and the development of a supportive and engaged community of early childhood and school age care professionals.