Complete the survey to be in the running to win one of two $100 gift vouchers to a Central Highlands hospitality venue of your choice!

Parents, caregivers, and employers – your voice matters! Take this quick survey to help shape real early childhood education and care solutions in Emerald and Blackwater.

All responses are confidential and reported in aggregate.
Complete the survey to be in the running to win a $100 hospitality gift voucher!
To be eligible for the prize draw, you must complete the survey in full.
Winners will be drawn within 14 days of the survey closing date.

CHDC and Astute Early Years Specialists are running this survey as part of the Enhancing Early Childhood Education and Care project, funded by Jobs Queensland through the Grow Your Own Regional Workforce Program, and powered by the Queensland Government’s Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022–2032.

Question Title

* 1. Please provide your contact details below. These will only be used for prize notification and delivery (not mandatory).

Name

Mobile

Question Title

* 2. What town in the Central Highlands do you live in?

Blackwater

Emerald

Capella

Springsure

Rolleston

Duaringa

Sapphire Gemfields

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. Your age

16-20

21-26

27-31

32-36

37-44

45-55

56-65

66+

Question Title

* 4. How does having access to stable early childhood and /or school age care impact you? (Select all that apply)

I am a parent / grandparent / guardian and need care for my children

I am an employee / student and I can’t work or study without appropriate care

I am a business owner and my employees need it to be able to work

Without it, my business can’t survive or grow

I am an early childhood / outside school hours care educator, and my job depends on the availability of childcare services

I am a high school student and would like to make a career in early childhood / outside school hours
care

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. Are you currently seeking care for children / grandchildren?

Yes

Please share your needs:
Are you on a waitlist? If so, is it for one or multiple centres?
What are your children's ages?
Do you need long day care, kindergarten, OSHC, or family day care?
What days/times do you require care?

Question Title

* 6. What type of care are you currently accessing? (Tick all that apply)

Long Day Care

Kindergarten (Kindy)

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

Family Day Care

N/A – I do not have children or require childcare

Other (please explain)

Question Title

* 7. Do you rely on family or friends for childcare support?

Yes, all the time (20+ hours per week)

Yes, frequently (15+ hours per week)

Yes, sometimes (5–14 hours per week

Yes, occasionally (up to 5 hours per week)

Rarely (a few times a month)

N/A – I do not have children or require childcare

Other (please explain)

Question Title

* 8. What are the barriers to having stable offerings of care in the community? (Tick all that apply)

Lack of essential services in town to attract educators to move and work here

Housing issues - hard for people to find affordable, suitable housing

Lack of interest from the community in early childhood or school age care

Lack of need for early childhood or school age care

No training pathway for high school students

No training pathway for adults wishing to retrain

Qualified educators leave for other jobs in the community

Attracting and retaining childcare educators

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 9. Do you think any of the below ideas could help to increase the availability and quality of early childhood and/or school age care in the region?

Training year 11 and 12 students and school leavers to work in the sector

Recruiting international educators to work and live in the community

Providing more family day care

Having the whole community support the drive to attract and retain educators

Providing a retraining pathway for locals to work in the sector

Looking at alternative / new service providers

Supporting local experienced early childhood educators (with an entry-level Certificate III qualification and at least two years on-the-floor experience) to complete a training certification, enabling them to teach and qualify new educators in the community and schools.

The council should provide more incentives and investment in the sector

The government should provide more subsidies to support both educators and families

Other (please specify)

None of the above