Gwydir Shire Council has successfully opened a new 5-day fortnight childcare service for the communities of Bingara and Warialda. The service, which opened on March 3, aims to fill a gap in assisting local families to find daycare solutions for children aged 0-2 years old.
Suzanne Webber, the Social Services Manager for Gwydir Shire Council, says the project has been years in the making.
“It’s taken us a few years to get the service for Bingara and Warialda up and running. We knew there was a need, but it’s always difficult to find space and staff, and the approval process for daycare is always arduous,” said Ms Webber.
“It’s always difficult for the smaller communities; families in these areas so desperately require care for their children, but it’s almost impossible to attract large-scale daycare into the area as there just isn’t enough return on investment for them.”
After much hard work and deliberation, Gwydir Shire Council, through the Tharawonga Mobile Resource Unit, has successfully locked in a 5-day fortnight, utilising the Toy Library spaces in both communities.
The hours are as follows, with both locations opening from 8 am – 4 pm:
Week One
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – Warialda
Thursday, Friday – Bingara
Week Two
Monday, Tuesday – Warialda
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – Bingara
“The community response has been very positive so far,” said Ms Webber.
“We already have 17 enrollments across the two locations. With current staffing, we can take 16 children per location, with a view to having a 20-child capacity once we organise some extra staff.”
To improve childcare and employment outcomes in the region, Ms Webber says they are offering incentives like school-based traineeships to interested young locals who may be keen on pursuing early childhood education as a career.
It is hoped that the daycare services will complement the existing Preschool in Bingara, which accommodates children from 3 to 6, and the new preschool planned for Warialda, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.
When asked if there are plans to increase the hours for the Warialda and Bingara daycare services, Ms Webber said, “Absolutely, this is just the first stage.”
“We generally find that most people with really young children in that 0–2-year age bracket aren’t looking for 5 days a week of care, but we still do plan to eventually offer 5 days per week and longer opening hours to accommodation the 6 am – 6 pm timeframe that people traditionally expect from a childcare service.”
“As we get more interest and expand the program with more educators, we will certainly be looking at offering those extended hours.”
For now, Ms Webber’s biggest focus is on quality over quantity.
“Childcare is a real minefield at that moment. Children are so very, very precious, and I am acutely aware of the huge responsibility placed on us to care for our community’s little ones,” she said.
“We’ve had our first inspection, and we are currently meeting all the national standards, but I ideally want to exceed those standards and provide the best possible quality service that we can.”
The current daily rate for the service is $96, and the childcare subsidy can be applied to this rate. Families are required to supply milk, formula, or food for all age groups.
“Not only are we trying to keep the cost down for families, but also by getting families to pack lunches for their kids, we’re able to engage with them about healthy eating and provide education on early childhood nutrition,” said Ms Webber.
The Warialda and Bingara Toy Libraries will also remain available for local families. Warialda will operate from 10 am to 12 pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and Bingara will operate from 10 am to 12 pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. For more information about the Toy Library and its playgroups, visit the Gwydir Shire Council website.
To find out more about the daycare service at both locations or to submit an enrolment application, contact Suzanne Webber directly on 0427 241 931.