HUNTER parents are grappling to find childcare services, leaving them unable to work and financially stressed.
A new report by The Parenthood released on Monday, September 9, revealed 86 per cent of families living in regional, rural and remote communities are struggling to access early learning and care.
The report shares more than 160 stories of parents, carers, educators and community leaders who are impacted by the shortage.
It's the harsh reality for Cassilis mum of three Kristen Hegarty, who has been unable to return to work as a key account manager for a multinational pharmaceutical company.
"I only have one day where all my children are in care at once, the other days I usually have at least one with me," she told The Parenthood Impactful report.
She said the limited days she does get, she is travelling an hour to drop her children off to preschool.
"There is nothing in our town, even though we have a primary school," she said.
Being unable to return to work has reduced her household income.
"While I love being with my children and shaping the people they grow into, being unable to seek even part-time regular employment is frustrating," she said.
"I am lucky we live on a farm, that I have an agricultural background and have put my time and energy into our family business."
"The extra 200 kilometres per day to get them to care and preschool that day means I focus on our farm business."
Ms Hegarty said returning to her prior career was not feasible with the lack of childcare available in her home town.
"With the new rule that preschool children aren't allowed on the bus to or from the facility, which is about 50 kilometres away, the responsibility to get them to and from preschool most often falls to me," she said.
On the Central Coast, the broken childcare system is leaving hundreds of families in a dire situation, waiting years to get their kids into centres.
Bensville mother Jessica Coulson, 39, called for action through lobbying state and federal politicians, to demand change.
"I was surprised to find out that there are 400 to 600 people on 20 to 30 waiting lists and on them for two years," she said.
Meanwhile two childcare centres are set to close their doors in Newcastle and Beresfield with the Samaritans redirecting funds from their early learning centres.
The Parenthood campaign director Maddy Butler said country towns were no longer the affordable and relaxed places to raise children they once were.
"Regional, rural and remote parents' mental health is suffering as they navigate searching and waiting for early learning spots, making alternative arrangements and juggling caring responsibilities with paid work," she said.
"It shouldn't be this complicated."
Ms Butler said the childcare shortage was a struggle for parents across the country, but was far worse in regional areas with more than three children competing for every childcare centre.
"This, combined with record high regional house prices and generally more costly expenses like groceries and petrol put parents from regional, rural and remote communities at a real disadvantage.
"Essential workers like nurses, teachers, early childhood educators and psychologists are having to reduce their working hours or quit altogether as there are no appropriate care options for their children.
"They tell us they feel socially isolated and burnt out as they go to extremes to find makeshift care solutions, like working through the night, to stay financially afloat and make sure their kids are looked after."
In May this year, The Parenthood and more than 50 leading organisations spanning across health, education and agriculture launched the Access for Every Child Rural Coalition in Canberra, calling for stronger government management of the early childhood education and care system.
Currently 70 per cent of the system is privately run and Ms Butler believes governments can fix this.
"Early childhood education and care cannot be left to the private sector alone. Private providers aren't setting up shop in many country towns because there's no guarantee of a profit," she said.
"Further incentives are needed to address educator shortages in regional, rural and remote communities."
