A Warrnambool organsiation is considering a unique solution to the childcare crisis affecting its staff.
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South West Healthcare, has been impacted by the lack of childcare spots available.
Chief executive officer Craig Fraser spoke about the issue as part of a panel discussion earlier this month.
Mr Fraser said care of families and the lack of childcare was an issue for the health service, which could have 30 more full time equivalent (FTE) staff on its rosters.
"A staff challenge is caring, ie; childcare," he said. "We know, we did a survey a little while ago and had 400 staff, predominately female, respond. Out of that we could have got another 30 FTE (full-time equivalent staff).
"One of the people that responded caught me in the cafeteria and said 'you know I could be working four days a week if I had childcare'... That's where we're at. It's an issue."
This week, Mr Fraser told The Standard the organisation was considering a possible solution.
"We are also looking at offering in-home childcare so that we can proactively address these additional challenges for our own staff," Mr Fraser said.
Earlier this year, The Standard reported the city's childcare shortage was showing no signs of easing.
A number of child care centres are experiencing staff shortages.
In 2022, The Standard reported this was forcing some centres to reduce the number of placements they can offer children.
A shortage of qualified staff both in the south-west and across the nation is fueling the "workforce crisis" as educators leave the profession for new industries and centre directors try to recruit, with little success.
Thrive by Five, a campaign to make the system high quality and accessible, says the crisis is jeopardising access to high-quality care in the critical early years and when families needed support.
"There is a workforce crisis in the early childhood education and care sector, with thousands of job vacancies, high staff turnover and inadequate pay and conditions for educators," its director Jay Weatherill said.