Regional Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Stakeholder Survey

Help Shape the Future of ECEC in Regional, Rural and Remote Communities

Share your experiences and perspectives on ECEC access, workforce, affordability and the challenges facing your community. Your insights will help inform advocacy and contribute to the review of Commonwealth ECEC programs and investment.

Step 1 of 2

Phone

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About You

Which best describes you?(Required)

Parent / Carer

Provider / Service Operator

Educator / Staff Member

Aboriginal Community-controlled Organisation Representative

Other Stakeholder

What is the postcode or community name of the service/area you are responding about?(Required)

ZIP / Postal Code

Which best describes you?(Required)

Regional

Remote

Very Remote

Not Sure

Service Gaps and Distribution

What types of ECEC services are currently available in your community?(Required)

Long Day Care

Family Day Care

In-home Care

Outside School Hours Care

Preschool / Kindergarten

None Available

Which of these services, if any, are missing or insufficient for your needs?(Required)

Long Day Care

Family Day Care

In-home Care

Outside School Hours Care

Preschool / Kindergarten

None Available

On average, how far do you travel (or would need to travel) to access your preferred ECEC service?(Required)

Under 5 km

5 – 20 km

20 – 50 km

Over 50 km

No service available at any distance

Have you ever been unable to access ECEC due to full enrolments, waitlists, or lack of a nearby service? Please describe.(Required)

Does the available care match the hours/days you need (e.g. shift work, seasonal work)?(Required)

1 (Not at All)

5 (Fully Matches)

What is your current occupancy rate, and do you maintain a waitlist? If so, how long is it?(Required)

What service types would you offer if funding, staffing or infrastructure allowed?(Required)

Long Day Care

Family Day Care

In-home Care

Outside School Hours Care

Preschool / Kindergarten

None Available

How would you describe demand trends in your community over the past 3–5 years?(Required)

Growing Strongly

Growing Slightly

Stable

Declining

Workforce Attraction, Training and Retention

What are the biggest barriers to recruiting qualified ECEC staff in your area?(Required)

Wages

Housing Availability

Transport

Isolation / Distance from Family

Training Access

Career Progression

Other

How long does it typically take to fill a vacant educator position?(Required)

Under 1 Month

1 – 3 Months

3 – 6 Months

Over 6 Months

Currently Unfilled

Is a lack of local housing a barrier to attracting staff from outside the region?(Required)

1 (Not a Barrier)

5 (Major Barrier)

What training/qualification pathways are accessible locally, versus requiring relocation or travel?(Required)

What would most improve staff retention in your community?(Required)

What factors would make you more likely to stay in — or leave — your current role/location?(Required)

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Effectiveness

Does the CCS adequately reduce your out-of-pocket costs for ECEC?(Required)

1 (Not at All)

5 (Fully Adequate)

Does the CCS activity test or subsidy structure suit variable, seasonal or informal work common in your community?(Required)

1 (Not at All)

5 (Suits Very Well)

Are there care models used in your community (e.g. informal, mobile, multi-site) that current CCS settings don't accommodate well?(Required)

What changes to CCS eligibility or structure would better reflect the true cost of delivering/accessing care in your area?(Required)

Commonwealth Programs and Investment

Which Commonwealth ECEC programs or grants has your service/community accessed?(Required)

Community Child Care Fund

Connected Beginnings

Building Early Education Fund

Other

None

How well do current funding/regulatory settings accommodate community-controlled and culturally-grounded models of care?(Required)

1 (Not Effective)

5 (Very Effective)

What barriers exist in applying for or administering these programs (e.g. application complexity, reporting burden, funding timeframes)?(Required)

What gaps remain that current programs don't address?(Required)

Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations

What specific challenges does your organisation face in establishing or sustaining ECEC services?(Required)

Funding Certainty

Infrastructure

Workforce

Governance Capacity

Other

How effective have these programs been in addressing local access or quality issues?(Required)

1 (Not Well at All)

5 (Very Well)

What support (funding, capacity-building, partnerships) would most strengthen your organisation's ability to deliver services?(Required)

How are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families' needs currently being met — or not met — by existing ECEC options in your area?(Required)

Other Related Matters

Are there other factors affecting ECEC access, quality or sustainability in your community not covered above? (e.g. infrastructure/facilities, regulatory burden, digital connectivity, natural disaster resilience)(Required)

What single change would make the biggest difference to ECEC in your community?(Required)

Any additional comments or case examples you'd like to share?(Required)

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Help Shape the Future of ECEC in Regional, Rural and Remote Communities

About You

Service Gaps and Distribution

Workforce Attraction, Training and Retention

Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Effectiveness

Commonwealth Programs and Investment

Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations

Other Related Matters

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