'It's beyond difficult': Aussie parents struggling to work and care for their kids
By Nikolina Koevska Kharoufeh |
A?ussie parents are facing many difficulties when it comes to finding care for their children, including hefty increases in childcare fees and long waitlists.
These issues are having a major impact on their ability to work. ?
However, a specific group of parents are facing an even bigger issue ¨C one that unfortunately doesn't seem to have any solution in sight.
That issue is the absence of daycare options for weekends and out of usual office hours.
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Shift-working parents or those who work over the weekend have been encountering the issue of reliable childcare options for a long time.
A 2016 study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies? found the lack of flexibility in formal care has been a huge challenge for these parents.
The study, which interviewed 69 Australian parents including nurses, police officers and paramedics, found close to half were using informal care for children aged under one in order to be able to return to work.
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"In some families, parents adapted their work situation to fit the care they had available. This included moving jobs to one that does not involve variable shifts," The Institute's Director, Anne Hollonds explained.
"Many parents also opted to meet their care needs informally, either by arranging their work schedules to cover care needs themselves or by calling on the help of extended family such as grandparents."
Though for many families like Tom's, informal care is just not an option. ?
"Our family lives interstate, so it's just us in Sydney," the dad-of-three tells 9Honey Parenting.
Tom, who works in media and has to start work at 4:30am each day, ?says his wife hasn't been able to return to work since the birth of their first child six years ago.
"No daycare is open that early! And when we looked into the option of hiring a nanny, that was just way outside our budget. It's beyond difficult."
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Many parents encounter the financial strain of placing their child in childcare set days, while balancing a changing roster.
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Mum Tiffany who also deals with this issue as a medical resident and a mum of two, explained to 9Honey Parenting there is huge issue with available care.
"My husband works Saturdays and I work at night in order to have someone look after our kids," she explained, reflecting on her work prior to taking maternity leave.
"My family have been of great support but I understand that not everyone has that luxury."
NSW and ACT families have been given some assistance when it comes to more flexible childcare, through the Australian Government's In Home Care Pilot Project.
NSW In Home Care offers education and care for families excluded from family day care or center based care because of their family's specific needs.
This includes families who are considered 'geographically isolated?' or who have challenging or complex needs such as disability, illness etc.
Another criteria is families with parents who work non-standard work hours. And the service is in some cases covered by the Child Care subsidy, which means it is more affordable for families.
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Though one ?issue parents are facing with the program is that both parents may not meet the criteria required - meaning one works within 'normal child care service hours'.
Leaving families such as ?mum-of-two Kayla's left once again with limited options.
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"Working in a field that requires staff 24/7, I can't think of our lifestyle as a factor. Though if childcare was cheaper, I would consider dropping a weekend shift to spend more time as a family," mum-of-two Kayla tells 9Honey Parenting.
The aged care worker juggles part time work, which includes weekend shifts, and is consistently left stranded when it comes to her toddler Remi's care.
"For my mid-week shifts I have to arrange family or my best friend to babysit, providing her kids aren't sick, because day care and family day care don't offer alternate days."
And on the days where she isn't able to find the help, her only other option is to call in sick, which is becoming unsustainable.
Though it's not just the issue of daycare flexibility she is dealing with.
"?I have to work Sundays to save us money on day care during the week," she reveals.
"Daycare needs to be more affordable for working parents. We seem to be the ones paying the most and we need the service."
A strain ?many Australian families are feeling after a hefty increase in daycare fees across the nation this year, which coincided with changes to the Child Care Subsidy.
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