Council-led campaign seeks more regional childcare funding
Twenty-three councils in the state’s north and west have launched the Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project following the state government’s response to the 2022-23 SA Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care.
A 2022 study by the Mitchell Institute found South Australia’s federal electorate of Grey, in which all participating councils are located, to be the nation’s worst when it comes to childcare accessibility.
LGA has provided funding to support the campaign.
What the project aims to achieve
Many parents in regional communities are unable to work or forced to travel long distances because of limited, or non-existent, childcare options.
The Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project is asking state and federal governments to invest more in childcare services in Grey and help parents be part of South Australia’s thriving regional economy.
The 23 councils leading the campaign are seeking to raise awareness of the flow-on effects for early childhood development, workforce attraction and retention, and economic development opportunities, and to gain support for action to address this issue.
How other councils can get involved
In addition to directly engaging 2025 federal election candidates and currently serving Members of Parliament, the Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project is running a social media campaign to tell personal stories of the impacts of this issue and demonstrate broad community support for government action.
Councils and communities can help promote the campaign by following Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages, and encouraging others to do the same.
Look out for the personal stories which will be shared through campaign pages and information parents and employers can use to contact local candidates directly and show their support for more childcare in Grey.
If your council knows of additional parents or employers who may be interested in participating in the campaign, please contact Emily, the project’s lead.
Find out more
To find out more about the Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project, or to get involved, contact Policy Manager Emily Heywood-Smith at emily@capetal.com.au or 0414 596 052.