College program could be the first steps to solving childcare woes

It is one of those moments as a parent you remember so clearly.

The first day you drop your child off at daycare to be looked after by a total stranger while you go back to work.

It is terrifying and exciting all at once.But fewer parents are experiencing this because of a shortage in early childcare educators and a lack of childcare places.

On the North-West Coast, I know people who have jumped on waiting lists six months before their child was born just to try and secure a spot.

Or grandparents who have retired early so they can help look after the kids.

Childcare really is a backbone of our communities.

Without childcare, parents aren't able to get back into work. Think of all the job vacancies across the Coast. A lot of those can't be filled until we get our childcare problems sorted out first.

I recently visited Don College, my old school. And I reckon they are onto an Australia-first idea that could help.

They run community playgroups at the college.

Why couldn't this become a family day care?

There are teachers at Don who are struggling to get childcare for their own kids. It is using an existing space and resources smarter and more efficiently.

But here's the best part.

Students at Don College study to get their certificate in early childhood education.

Having an on-site daycare means they would have the ability to get real life experience and be ready to join the workforce as soon as they leave year 12.

We already have programs for trades in schools, like school-run cafes.

This is a similar idea; having the chance for hands-on training while learning but also providing something the community desperately needs.

To operate as a family daycare facility, there are certain things a building needs to have, like toilets and an enclosed yard.

So the state government will need to chip in a small amount of money to make sure the current space at Don College can meet these requirements.

But it is a very small price for what could be an innovative nation-leading pilot program.

Co-located childcare within public school facilities, with the ability for students to do work experience at the same time.

It is bold. It is different. And it could be a game-changer in how we tackle early childhood education.