For mother of three, Genevieve Hawkins, trying to find a consistent governess for her three school-aged children has become a regular task on her to-do list.
The family of five, who have a beef property at Taree Station, Aramac, are now on the hunt for their eleventh hire after recently farewelling their longest serving governess of two years.
"It doesn't get any easier. I think each time it probably just gets a bit tougher," Mrs Hawkins said.
"It is an important job, and it is really stressful on the mums particularly because we are trying to find someone who can do the job but is also a good fit for our family."
While the family had only changed governesses twice in three years, Mrs Hawkins admits this type of consistency is the exception, not the rule, with more families finding it increasingly challenging to source and retain consistent educators.
"The last couple of years we've been very lucky but in the earlier days it wasn't uncommon for a girl to stay for a term, then I'd do a term or two," she said.
"There's been four to six months between girls where I've had to step into the schoolroom.
"The other work doesn't stop, but you just have to make it work. It is pretty challenging."
Former governess Lee-Anne Bright, who spent 23 years in the role and now runs the Governess Australia page on Facebook, said she had noticed a large increase in job postings over the last 12 months.
Local community groups have also been filled with listings.
According to Mrs Bright, prohibiting factors include recent border openings and the changes to the In-Home Care National Guidelines in 2018 - which required a governess to hold or be studying towards an educational qualification.
But the qualification requirements were later scrapped for those considered remote or very remote by the ARIA Index of Remoteness.
However, Mrs Bright believed the changes, which were reinstated until the end of 2023, were not widely known.
"Covid has made people realise how short life is and that we can lockdown at any moment," said Mrs Bright, who decided to leave her job as a governess in 2021 to pursue travel opportunities.
"When they brought in the new childcare reform, I noticed that particularly had an impact because people needed to have a qualification.
"Suddenly, your gap year students can't instantly come out to the outback."
Isolated Children's Parents' Association federal president Alana Moller said ICPA had been working to increase awareness of these provisions and ensure they continue to stay in place.
However, Mrs Moller said it is not "a blanket issue" and believed the efforts of families should be further remunerated outside of the in-home care system with the introduction of a Distance Education Teaching Allowance to incentivise more educators to fill governess positions.
"We believe families, who must educate their children by distance education, shouldn't have to do so without some financial assistance," Mrs Moller said.
"Essentially it is looking for remuneration for that extra cost that isn't borne by a family in a mainstream school situation.
"At the moment, it is essentially a completely out of pocket expense for them to employ somebody else to be in their school room with their children.
"The costs that come with that, particularly in situations where they have to live there, provide accommodation and perhaps provide meals as well, that is an exceptional cost for families to bear."
Mrs Moller said the DETA, which they are advocating to have federally funded, would help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by families, particularly when a parent must step into the classroom environment.
"It's getting worse. The situation is quite challenging, and it has been for a long time," she said.
"We certainly have situations where because of lack of financial availability or because of lack of accommodation, there isn't an option and mum then has to teach the children.
"It is quite a significant cost regardless of whether you employ somebody or if mum is taken out of the workforce because she has to be in the schoolroom. There may be a situation where the business is impacted.
"Covid showed normal mainstream people just how challenging it is to teach your kids at home. The hope that we have is that it has shown people that it is a challenge and these people who have to do it all the time need to be better supported."
The Hawkins family are hopeful in filling the position soon, but admitted it was such a competitive market.
"It's like speed dating," she said.
"You finally find a good potential candidate who is also interviewing four other families, and it comes down to what more you can offer over the others.
"It's just my husband and I and the kids, but the main reason I think I've had problems finding girls is the fact that we are small, and can't offer them those social opportunities.
"It can become quite isolating because they are living and working with us.
"But it is an important job that we need filled."
