News reports and statements from ACT Government indicate shortages of staff carrying out emergency service roles in the ACT.
Most nurses are female and the other emergency/essential services continue to attract increased numbers of female participants. The lack of childcare restricts mostly female workforce participants. Males can be affected where partners work non-shift hours.
The issue of childcare has become critical to increase numbers of emergency service staff as they need participate in 24-hour rosters.
Very recent reports indicate short staffing has led to increased shifts and overtime by the AFPA (Australian Federal Police Association) where the most affected members are female officers with young children.
The result is that these staff are having to make choices of:
    foregoing or postponing becoming parents,
    not returning to the job they were trained for after having children or,
    defer returning to work for some years.
Certainly, nurses and paramedics are in a similar situation.
The ACT Government Services would include 
1) police 2) health care workers (paramedics, nurses, ED doctors) 3) Fire fighters 4) Prison Staff & Other staff working in the provision of 24-hour services for ACT Government
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