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Canberra Today 13°/16° | Saturday, March 30, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Confessions from the waiting list


Nursery teacher playing with the kids.

ACCESSING childcare, it’s just a matter of being on a waiting list, isn’t it? 

“The minute you find out you’re pregnant is the time to put your name down on the waiting list,” says Christine Legg, CEO of KU Childcare Services.

And yet, of three mothers “CityNews” spoke to, not one of them had succeeded in securing a childcare spot by waiting for a call.

IT contractor Joanna Murray says she put her eldest child Sophie’s name down on one list but never heard anything again.

“I was told if I went in every week to check the waiting list I would have more of a chance,” she says.

“Lucky for me, a childcare centre opened up at Gold Creek Country Club and Sophie and Sam were one of the first ones to go there.

“I was only told by someone who worked in the childcare industry it was opening up.”

Public servant Carly Barron, mum to three boys, says she put her eldest son Ethan down on several waiting lists when he was two months old, with the intention of returning to work when he was nearly one.

“The only placements we’ve ever got in centres, the two that Ethan went to, was because we knew people that worked there,” she says. “We never got a position off a waiting list. We were very lucky with family day care and found someone advertised on allclassifieds who looked after the boys for about a year.”

Journalist Libby Hill says she had her elder daughter Lily on waiting lists at a number of centres, “but every time I called to enquire about her position at the list, I received a range of reactions that left me disappointed.

“Two centres even refused to put me on a wait list, laughed at me and advised me to call back in three years,” she says.

While she was initially able to find care for Lily quite easily, it was at a centre that wasn’t her first choice.

“I soon discovered why there was an opening at that particular centre – it was was poorly managed and understaffed, and some of the staff who were there didn’t have the appropriate training to work in childcare,” she says.

“At one point a staff member at the centre posted pictures of my child on Facebook and I was desperate to get her out of there.”

Christine Legg says getting that much-coveted first spot in a childcare centre requires precision planning, being the earliest of early birds and a certain amount of delicate badgering.

Parents should also list at more than one centre and look at centres that are along the route to work, not just close to home.

“Of course, as so many people are doing the same thing, all directors know their waiting lists can be unreliable,” she says. “This is why we encourage people to stay in touch. I’m not suggesting you badger the centre, but the occasional phone call to let them know you’re still keen for your child to attend the centre will ensure the director knows you’re genuine.

“If you’re offered a spot, take it,” says Christine – even if it’s not the days you were hoping for.

“Mondays and Fridays aren’t as popular, so it’s a good idea to take these if they’re offered, then you’re more likely to get more days as they become available,” she says.

And finally, her advice is to always have a back-up plan: “If you have a flexible employer who will allow you to work one day from home, or parents who can help you out – it will tide you over until a place becomes available.”

Next week: Big on passion, low on pay

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Kathryn Vukovljak

Kathryn Vukovljak

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