The impact of the uncertainty on the sector has been devastating. Centres are reporting daily attendances plummeting.
Thursday's announcement ofthe federal government's free childcare program for Australian parents during the crisis has left Natasha,like many parents,with mixed feelings. She's grateful for the chance to hold a place at her childcare centre,which she loves. But she's not confident it's a good idea to send her child there right now.
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"While I'm really grateful that it means a lot of people won't lose their jobs,and it's really comforting to know that at the end of this our family will be able to go back ... I don't feel like we have enough data to say it's the safest place for them to be right now."
Public sector worker Simone*,who is heavily pregnant,is sending her toddler to childcare – for now.
"I'm feeling increasingly uneasy,"she says."We'll be pulling him out before the birth,because of the possible risk of exposure to a newborn."