Parents forced to work from home or use annual leave after being turned away from full holiday childcare programs

About 500 Canberra families have been turned away from childcare programs this winter, due to a shortage of workers in the sector.
CEO of Communities At Work Lee Maiden said her organisation, which is the largest childcare provider in Canberra, received more than 6,000 applications, but only about 5,500 children were offered places.

She said there was a critical staff shortage in the sector, but school holiday demand compounded with outbreaks of COVID-19 and the flu had meant the number of places had to be capped.

“We have around 600 staff members in the ACT,” Ms Maiden said.

Read More: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-11/school-holiday-program-worker-shortage-leaves-parents-in-lurch/101213624