[sarihod]

A bit of frustration coming up the next few lines, but what can I do - daycare centers here in Australia are some kind of an exclusive club.

So, my son has been on waiting lists for a few months now. You may think that once your turn on your list arrives then you will be contacted and get a few days of care for your child and hop back joyfully to the work force. No such thing. Nope. After a while had passed and no communication from the centre (I have called every month to touch base), a friend suggested even more nagging. I didn't want to be annoying, after all there is a list no? There are order and planning etc. no? But I picked up the phone anyway one more time and ever so casually the manager dismissed me with - "we're fully booked till 2013" and then even more casually - "unless you want Fridays".

Helloooo - why do you think I'm on the waiting list? Because I just enjoy enrollment forms and waiting periods?

I am trying to get back to work and with no family to take care of my son this mission seems impossible. This means either be on never ending lists or paying a fortune for a nanny. One day of day care is not enough to hold a job but I was happy to "be in the system". Maybe this way I will get more days (just 1 or 2 more!!) to find me some part time work. No, nope again. I am to be on another waiting list - which actually means no real lists just nagging and nagging again until they allocate another day for me. By the time he'll celebrate his 5th birthday I will probably hit the 3 days mark.

I have to do a little comparison here, please forgive me. My friend who gave birth 5 days after me is leaving overseas. When she and her husband decided it was time for their daughter to go to daycare and for mum to go back to her beloved career, they just had to pick a center which was able to cater for their child 5.5 days a week (yes even a few hours on Saturday..) and they had a few nearby options to choose from. Here there are so little options for so many kids no wonder we can't get any days.

But what is the solution I ask. I will not open a family daycare service if that's what you think, and that's usually what people suggest as a solution. I thought of nagging a few centers at the same time and maybe get him to have one day here one day there, but isn't that going to be confusing for him? I don't think we can afford a nanny.

Personally I think something in the system should change, why don't we see some government centers opening up and helping mums be part of this economy. But I don't know how to organise demonstrations...


Any creative suggestions or experiences are much welcomed :-)

[Ehill]

Firstly may I say I dont work and dont use daycare BUT that doesnt mean I dont agree with your plight. My biggest frustration is we have all forked over a fortune via our taxes to pay for baby bonuses and paid parental leave and here we all happily producing offspring BUT there is no back up for them all. No infrastructure AT ALL!

All I hear is how important it is to get women back in the workforce but as you say, HOW?

I have just discovered that due to recent changes in the ed system here in SA that my daughter will be nearly 5 before she starts kindy and nearly 6 before she starts school! Awesome, lets encourage everyone to have kids.......then double the price of daycare so the nonprofitable ones close because the govt funding is cr&p AND start the kids education later. Brilliant.

Come and drink coffee with me OP. Oh and wine by 430pm. I would shop but I have no money.

[seepi]

If you accept the Friday they had available, then you will be an exisitng customer of the centre and will get offered any other days that come up before they go to the waiting list.

I'd do that. Have a day off to yourself, and go back to work once you get two days of care.

[baddmammajamma]

Call them back immediately and GRAB THAT FRIDAY SLOT! As seepi points out, once you are "in the system," you have a much better chance of picking up additional days.

I feel your pain. The daycare supply-demand imbalance is a REAL issue for so many families.

Good luck.

[*Greenbag*]

A baby dump on the lawns or steps of parliament. It would make a fantastic news story and photo opportunity, with the by-line, 'You want us to go back to work, you need to help take care of the children." Imagine hundreds of babies and kids just sitting all together on parliament steps, their mothers just out of shot at the sidelines, protesting.

A nightmare, logistically, but I'd love to see it happen.

[JillyJellyBean]

Greenbag, great plan.

I have been trying to get my 6 month old (she not even born yet) on a wait list in Canberra and cant even get her on a list given that the lists are so long. Its madness. Looks unlikely that Ill be able to go back to work.

[Mumma_G]

Take the Friday, more places will become available in January once the current pre-preps move on to schools, people relocate areas. When we were on the 'waiting list' I called every week without fail. It took 9 months before we got a position. I could have got places elsewhere but I didnt like the centres. Infact I took one of these places, after 6 months of hell we pulled DS out and waited until we could get him into the centre we loved in the first place.

[MadamDivine]

Thats mad waiting times..

But it must be only certain areas. I live in SA and I can walk into alot of centres and get a spot within a week, I am always seeing vacant signs advertising for spots. Prob not near the CBD but outer suburbs

[boatiebabe]

I would also take the Friday offered.

That's how I got my first child into a day care centre and then I was able to get more days the following year.

For the first year I had to drive DD a hour each way to my aunts house one day a week, DH took a day a week off, and she was in day care one day.

Once we were in we were in and it was no problems getting the three days the following year, and getting my DS in a couple of years later.

Also volunteer to help with fundraising etc if you can. They will see you as a more 'valuable' parent and also make it easier to get more days.

I agree, it's very hard to get care in some places.

[Escapin]

Greenbag, that is simply a fabulous idea! Now to find someone to organise it.

Our own experience has been that DD has been on 3 waiting lists since 4 months BEFORE she was born. We finally got offered places, for next year, when she will be turning 2. Luckily this has worked out for us as I have taken 2 years mat leave. In fact, I think most of the kids starting at this day care will be nearly 2, as the wait list is 2+ years.

It's such a ridiculous system huh. And then to make it financially non-viable for so many people just adds insult to injury. Plus all the crap about how daycare only comes out of the woman's wage. What about their partners? Makes me want to scream.