Excerpt
A world-first study by Victoria University’s Mitchell Institute has found that about 24 per cent of Australia’s population live in areas classified as ‘childcare deserts’ – where there are more than three children per childcare place.
It also found about 700,000 Australians live in areas with virtually no access to childcare at all.
It’s part of a massive international study that mapped childcare accessibility across nine nations and for more than 10 million children. It also examined which approaches lead to better and fairer access for families. It follows the 2022 Deserts and Oases: How accessible is childcare in Australia report.
Mitchell Institute Director and lead author, Associate Professor Peter Hurley, said the world-first global tracking of childcare access provides vitally important information.
“We know that high-quality accessible childcare has huge benefits, for both workforce participation and helping young children to thrive. Governments around the world are committing billions of dollars, pounds and euros to increase the supply of childcare, without much understanding of the best way to do it," Associate Professor Hurley said.
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