Gooloogong Rallies For Answers On Local Childcare Options

Working families in Gooloogong are being forced to cut back on work and travel long distances for care, as the town continues to wait for certainty regarding early childhood education and after-school services.

The local P&C says families feel they have been ‘strung along’ after three years of working in good faith with the NSW La­bor Government without a clear outcome or commitment.

Member for Cootamundra, Steph Cooke, said the community had waited long enough for answers. “What they’re looking for is re­ally simple and straightforward,” Ms Cooke said.

“They need a preschool and before- and after-school care. It’s not rocket science, and quite frankly, this community deserves better.”

Ms Cooke said families were deeply concerned about the long-term future of Gooloogong Public School if support ser­vices were not delivered.

“What we’re seeing at the moment is par­ents having to pull their kids out of school or not enrol them to begin with, because they end up taking their child to a larger centre that meets the working requirements of their parents.”

Local parent Marissa Tedder is among those local parents forced to make difficult decisions due to the lack of childcare op­tions.

“I recently had to go to my employer of eight years and say to them, I actually can­not continue working here because I can’t do the daily travel, and I can’t do the hours that you require me to do due to the lack of daycare,” Ms Tedder said.

She added that Gooloogong offered an in­credible lifestyle for her young family, but es­sential services were missing.

“We have everything we need right here, and we can make it successful if, if we’re al­lowed to,” she said.

Gooloogong Public School P&C Presi­dent Emma Marr said families had spent three years working constructively with the Department of Education to secure a sus­tainable childcare model that would support both local children and working parents.

“What we’re after is a sustainable model,” Ms Marr said.

“We’ve really been trying to work with the department in trying to achieve a facility that provides care for those children that are not yet at school, as well as after-school care for school-aged children.”

Ms Marr said the uncertainty was exhaust­ing families and placing pressure on the school’s future.

“We’ve very easily lost over a quarter of our children to school buses,” she said.

“Just last week, we had an inquiry from a family for enrolment to the school, and because we don’t have after-school care, they’ve now gone to Cowra.”

“We need the department to stop stringing this along. Our families are exhausted.”

Ms Cooke said the community had al­ready demonstrated its willingness to work together and deserved support from the government.

“This community has got solutions.

They’re very self-sufficient. All they need is a green light from the government to stand up this level of care that they want to offer their own children,” Ms Cooke said.