In fewer than three months, child care will become more affordable for thousands of Australian families thanks to anticipated subsidy reforms, but regional parents say it is still a struggle to secure a spot.
Jenna Dillon lives in a child care desert in South Australia's Riverland region, with three or more children vying for every space.
"Child care in the Riverland is really tricky to get into and often you're on a long waiting list," she said.
"I've heard of people having to travel from different towns to get a spot.
"It's just about taking what you can get when so many people need to work."
The township of Berri is one of the Riverland's busiest service hubs.
Berri Regional Child Care Centre director Saffron Morris said there were more than 30 families currently trying to get in.
"The waiting list for our baby room would have to be the worst it's been in a few years," she said.
"There's just not enough spots."
Ms Morris said the centre was looking into changing the structure of the rooms to accommodate the rising demand.
"But in doing that we'd need to have some educators to fill those spots," she said.
"We have a few permanent staff that keep us going but we definitely need a few more."
Union calls for pay rise
From July 1 some families will be eligible to receive up to 85 per cent of their child care fees back, as part of the federal government's anticipated subsidy reforms.
The United Workers Union said it was pleased child care would be more affordable, but it would mean a rise in demand for the already contested spots.
Union executive director of early education Helen Gibbons said boosting the workforce would create more child care vacancies, but wages would need to rise to sustain staff numbers.
"It's outrageous that educators are paid as little as $24 an hour," she said.
"The number one reason driving early educators to leave the sector is their low pay.
"It's not just about money — what they're paid is also symbolic of how they feel they're respected and valued by the government and the local community."
A spokesperson for Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke said the federal government understood the importance of increasing wages in the sector but did not commit to any action at this time.
"We know our highly skilled early childhood educators do such important work — and it's crucial this is properly valued and recognised," the spokesperson said.
"We're not pre-empting the outcomes of any bargaining processes or applications that may commence through the Fair Work Commission [to increase wages at this time]."
Back in the Riverland, the developer of a new child care centre in nearby Renmark is hoping to ease the region's demand.
Evergreen Built director Wayne Henry said the 100-spot child care centre was set to open by January.
"There's a waitlist for child care in Renmark so we'll be making some progress on that shortfall, delivering a new modern child care," he said.
