Pay the key for early ed carers

PARENTS are increasingly being sent last-minute text alerts cancelling their childcare because of the worsening workforce crisis.

It comes as early childhood education campaigners call for the government to give the workforce an immediate pay rise that matches that of staff in schools, to stop people leaving the industry.

Thrive by Five, an early childhood education advocacy group, has revealed a fourpoint emergency action plan it wants the government to adopt and act on at the upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit being held on September 1 and 2.

The summit will be held a few days before educators are due to take part in a national strike on September 7, forcing hundreds of childcare centres to close for the day. Thrive by Five director Jay Weatherill warns a key test of the government’s jobs summit will be delivering “real solutions for the early childhood education and care workforce shortage”.

“Educators are leaving because they can’t make ends meet on low wages, parents can’t get the support they need for going to work and children are missing out on vital education opportunities in the early years,” he said.

“We need greater respect for early educators, free tertiary education opportunities for new and existing early educators, greater workforce planning and improved pay and conditions.”

Not-for-profit operator Goodstart Early Learning, which cares for about 70,000 kids across Australia, said one in nine of its permanent educator roles were now vacant.

On job site Seek, there are 7815 jobs advertised for early childhood teachers, and 7603 jobs advertised for early childhood educators.

Jane Johnson, a centre director from Melbourne, said like many operators she had set up a text message system so she could alert parents at short notice that their childcare had been cancelled.

She is considering quitting and going part-time or casual. “I’ve been in the industry for 40 years but now the job is really stressful, it’s just crazy,” Ms Johnson said.