Childcare deserts and the impact on healthcare
South Australia is home to the country’s worst ‘childcare desert’. There’s a dire lack of childcare services in the north and west of the state and advocates warn it’s exacerbating healthcare workforce shortages. The following article was supplied by Emily Heywood-Smith from the Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project.
Late last year, 23 councils across the north and west of South Australia came together to form the Regional Childcare Desert Advocacy Project (RCDAP).
The goal of the project is to highlight and address the lack of childcare options in the federal electorate of Grey, which has been named Australia’s worst childcare desert.
RCDAP has been running a social media campaign since January 2025, sharing personal stories about the impact of the lack of childcare in regional communities.
It’s no coincidence that around half of the case studies profiled to date have come from the health sector. They include doctors, nurses, paramedics, physios and radiologists.
While the number of doctors directly affected by this issue may be small, when so many health professionals delay or restrict their return to work because of a lack of childcare, this places additional pressure on the remaining workforce and has many flow-on effects.
The impacts of the existing shortage of doctors and nurses are magnified across the primary care system, further limiting access to health services in regional communities.
In the lead up to the 2025 federal election, RCDAP is asking Governments to invest more in childcare services.
The organisation is encouraging all members of the health sector to support its campaign by letting it know of additional case studies, and by following its Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram pages, engaging with our posts and encouraging others to do the same.
We have also launched a webpage that allows supporters to send a template email directly to decision-makers, making them aware of the towns and regions with the most pressing needs.
For further information, or to suggest additional case studies, contact emily@capetal.com.au
