West Wimmera Shire Council endorses childcare plan

Published on 18 March 2022

West Wimmera Shire Council has officially endorsed a plan to get a new childcare service up and running in Edenhope.

Council staff have been working with Edenhope parents on a new pilot program for childcare in the town.

Council discussed the proposed service at a council meeting on Wednesday and have now authorised officers to apply for all necessary state and federal government approvals needed.

Staff recruitment for the service has also started, with job adverts appearing online and on social media.

Chief Executive Officer David Bezuidenhout said the hope was to open the service on April 26, the start of term two, however that would only happen if all the government approvals were met, and the appropriate number of qualified staff had been recruited.

“Unfortunately, there are no guarantees as to the start date, but we will update families with any new information throughout the process,” he said.

Last month, Council called for families intending to use the service to register their expressions of interest.

As a result of that process, more families expressed a need for the service than the number of places available for children under three. There were enough places available for children over three to accommodate the demand.

A waiting list will now be established for those children who cannot be accommodated in the first round of offers.

Council has authorised officers to increase the service offering after an initial establishment period, subject to qualified staffing availability.

Edenhope also currently has a family day care provider, who operates a service out of the kindergarten building.

Mr Bezuidenhout said Council was in discussions with the current family day care provider about the future of the program.

“We have given a guarantee that children in family day care will have first access to childcare, if that service doesn’t continue,” he said.

“Also, if there are delays in starting the new service, we will facilitate the continuation of family day care.”

At the Council meeting on Wednesday, Councillors also authorised officers to investigate a potential family day care service at the Goroke Kindergarten that would operate three days a week.