How 'childcare deserts' in rural Australia impact parent and child wellbeing: An analysis of parental voices

Marg Rogers
University of New England, Australia and Manna Institute, Australia
Margaret Sims
Macquarie University, Australia
Maddy Butler
The Parenthood, Australia
Catherine Rita Volpe
University of New England, Australia
Michelle Gossner
Central Queensland University, Australia and Manna Institute, Australia
Navjot Bhullar
University of Canberra, Australia and Manna Institute, Australia

This study explores the potential health implications for children, parents, carers and communities living in Australia's 'childcare desert' areas. Most families with children aged birth to five years have limited access to early childhood education and care in regional, rural, and remote Australia, creating 'childcare desert' communities. This poses a major challenge for workforce participation and can result in poorer education opportunities for children as well as potentially adverse health outcomes for some children and parents. Data from 155 parents and carers living in Australian regional, rural and remote communities about their experiences accessing ECEC services were used. We conducted a deductive analysis of the parents' experiences of barriers to access and the perceived impact on the health outcomes of family members. Our study revealed the struggles parents face accessing ECEC services and its potentially adverse health impacts on parents and their children when compared with the World Health Organization's Determinants of health criteria. The need for access to universal care is often argued in terms of the educational benefits for children. However, attention also needs to be given to the potential health impacts on parents, children and communities when they live in 'childcare deserts'. Our findings will be of interest to policy makers, and those who support children and parents.
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Authors: Dr Marg Rogers (corresponding author) is a senior lecturer in early childhood education at the University of New England, Australia. Marg researches marginalised voices within families and education especially in regional, rural and remote communities. Specifically, she researches ways to support the wellbeing of military, first responder and remote worker families and early childhood educators. Marg is also a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Manna Institute [https://mannainstitute.au/]. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8407-7256 Email: marg.rogers@une.edu.au Professor Margaret Sims is an Australian early childhood and family researcher and has worked in family support and disabilities for many years. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4686-4245 Email: margaret.sims@mq.edu.au Ms Maddy Butler is Campaign Director at national advocacy organisation The Parenthood [https://www.theparenthood.org.au/team], Australia, where she leads a campaign calling for improved access to regional, rural and remote early childhood education and care. With a background in communications, she has over five years' experience in campaigning for parents and carers as a constituency. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8030-3703 Email: maddy@theparenthood.org.au Ms Michelle Gossner is a schoolteacher and PhD candidate at Central Queensland University. With an interest in child and adolescent development, her research focuses on understanding and addressing the diverse factors that influence the wellbeing and educational outcomes of young people. She is an HDR student with the Manna Institute, Australia [https://mannainstitute.au/]. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1922-7729 Email: m.gossner@cqu.edu.au Dr Catherine Rita Volpe, University of New England, Australia, conducts research focusing on the impacts of digital technologies in the lives of children and young people and she continues her research on the ethical implications, challenges and benefits of new digital methods. She seeks to foster collaborative research projects that focus on the inclusion of children in research. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7500-9937 Email: cvolpe@une.edu.au Professor Navjot Bhullar is a psychological scientist and mental health researcher at the Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Australia. Her applied research explores vulnerabilities related to psychosocial and environmental (including climate change) factors, and how these are exacerbated by intersectionality, affecting mental health and wellbeing. She is also affiliated with the Manna Institute, Australia [https://mannainstitute.au/] as a Senior Research Fellow. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1616-6094 Email: navjot.bhullar@canberra.edu.au Please cite as: Rogers, M., Sims, M., Butler, M., Volpe, C. R., Gossner, M. & Bhullar, N. (2025). How 'childcare deserts' in rural Australia impact parent and child wellbeing: An analysis of parental voices. Issues in Educational Research, 35(3), 1116-1136. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/rogers.pdf