A boost to early learning for Bingara and Warialda

Much needed long day care services have arrived in the New South Wales communities of Bingara and Warialda, with Gwydir Shire Council successfully opening a new 5-day fortnight service for those communities. 

The project, which aims to fill a gap in assisting local families to find childcare solutions for children aged between birth and two years, has been “years in the making,” Council’s Social Services Manager Suzanne Webber said. 

“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,” she shared with local news source New England Times.

“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.”

By working with the Tharawonga Mobile Resource Unit the Council has been able to lock in the five day a fortnight program which utilises dedicated Toy Library spaces in both communities. 

Operating from 8 am to 4 pm, the schedule for both locations is as follows: 

Week One

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – Warialda

Thursday, Friday – Bingara

Week Two

Monday, Tuesday – Warialda

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – Bingara

The community response, Ms Webber said, has been very positive so far.

“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.”

There are a number of incentives in place to attract more staff to the region, including school-based traineeships to interested young locals who may be keen on pursuing early childhood education as a career.

It is hoped that the new services will complement the existing Preschool in Bingara, which accommodates children from three to six years of age, and the new preschool planned for Warialda, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Ms Webber outlined plans for future expansion and an increase in hours for the Warialda and Bingara services saying “we generally find that most people with really young children in that 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.”

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.

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.

Access the original coverage of this story here.