Waiting times for early childhood education have dropped across the country, with new figures showing families are generally getting faster access to services than they were two years ago.
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OECE chief advisor Dr Sarah Alexander says that although the figures point to easier access, the shift is more likely to reflect a drop in demand than an increase in supply.
She says rising living costs, changes in employment and concerns about the condition of the sector – including funding pressures and moves toward deregulation – are influencing some families’ decisions about when, or whether, to enrol.
“Many services now have vacancies and higher turnover, so a parent who walks in and asks when their child can start is increasingly being told, ‘When would you like to start?’,” she says.
“It is far less of a scramble for families than it was a few years ago.”
Dr Alexander says the main difficulty now is securing a place at a preferred service, or in communities where there are very few services available.
