Since the Early Learning Centre (ELC) opened its doors four months ago, Cobar Shire Council has been able to offer an extra 34 child care places for Cobar families.
Council moved its childcare centre from the Kubby House Childcare Centre in Bourke Street to the larger purpose-built ELC in October last year.
At Kubby House, Council was able to offer 31 child care places and that number has more than doubled since moving to the new centre.
ELC Coordinator Peta Rufo said educators, and children have settled into their routines well at the new facility.
“It’s a good environment, everyone’s happy.
“Here there’s a lot more room for them to move, and the rooms are bigger, with newer resources.
“We are loving it,” Peta said.
Of the 34 new places offered, 18 of those have been in the infants room (children six months to two years) and the remainder are in the toddlers room (2-3 years).
Peta said their two preschool rooms were already full.
The centre has a capacity for 88 places and Peta said they were working to a phased plan to fill all those spaces.
She said there’s a lot of logistics involved working out which room to open, which age group has the most demand and also making allowances for existing children to move up into the next age groups.
Peta said it will also involve recruiting more staff and more staff means having to find more accommodation.
The centre will have no trouble in filling more spaces as they currently have 93 children on the waiting list.
Mayor Jarrod Marsden said a lack of childcare has been an issue in Cobar for a long time.
He said developing the ELC was part of Council’s goal to make Cobar more liveable for families. Having adequate childcare would remove one of the reasons people have for not moving here or their reason for moving away.
