❓ Hon Michelle Boylan asks about childcare waiting lists and service capacity in regional WA. The Department of Communities lacks data on waiting lists and service capacity, referring to the Australian Government's Department of Education for that information. Data on the number of childcare services in specific towns is provided.
AnsweredQoN 1298Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to access to childcare services in regional Western Australia, and I ask: (a) as at 1 January 2026, how many children were on waiting lists for childcare places in the Perth Metropolitan region; (b) as at 1 January 2026, how many children were on waiting lists for childcare places outside of the Perth Metropolitan region; (c) please table as at 1 January 2026, how many children were on waiting lists for childcare places in the following towns: (i) Narrogin; (ii) Kununurra; (iii) Esperance; (iv) Kalgoorlie; and (v) Port Headland; (d) for each of the towns in (c)(i) to (v), please table how many childcare services were in operation as at 1 January 2026; and (e) as at 1 January 2026, please table how many, if any services were operating below their licensed capacity?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 April 2026
Responded by
Leader of the House representing the Minister for Early Childhood
Response time
5 days
(a)-(c) The Department of Communities (Communities) does not hold this data. This information may be available through the Australian Government’s Department of Education.
(d)
(i) 1
(ii) 3
(iii) 3
(iv) 8
(v) 3
(e) Communities does not hold this data. This information may be available through the Australian Government’s Department of Education
(d)
(i) 1
(ii) 3
(iii) 3
(iv) 8
(v) 3
(e) Communities does not hold this data. This information may be available through the Australian Government’s Department of Education
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