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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Stephanie Convery

Over a third of all Australians live in childcare ‘deserts’, research says

Young child playing with stacking toy
Issues with childcare availability include difficulties with opening hours, especially for emergency personnel like healthcare workers and police. Photograph: Daria Nipot/Getty Images/iStockphoto

When Nicole Greem decided to return to her job as a nurse after maternity leave, her biggest stumbling block wasn’t whether she could find work, but whether she could access childcare.

Like many places in regional New South Wales, Bourke, where Greem and her family live, had been crying out for healthcare workers. But even those who lived there were struggling to take up the shifts they wanted.

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