Many community members are facing major barriers to accessing early childhood education and care, yet very little is being done by the government to address the issue.
In our town, there’s only one childcare spot for every three children.
As a result, community members are waiting for up to two years before their child can access daycare.
For some people, this means going two years without being able to return to work until they secure a childcare spot. We know this is a problem all over the Territory.
We need an early childhood education and care system with greater capacity and greater flexibility.
One that will allow children to access the quality care and early education they need. One that will let carers return to work earlier, which will boost the Territory economy. One that prioritises the needs of single parents, parents of children with disabilities, or other parents whose needs are placed at an unfair disadvantage by the current system.
There are people who want to start a career in early childhood education and care but who don’t have the support needed to access the required training.
The issue isn't a lack of workforce. It's a lack of political priority.
The children of the Territory, from Mparntwe/Alice Springs, to remote communities, all the way up to the Tiwi Islands, deserve the best start to life that we can offer, yet the government isn’t doing enough to support them.
Sign our petition and call on the NT Government to take immediate action to expand access to childcare all over the Territory.