Working families in Gooloogong say ongoing delays around childcare and after school care are forcing parents to reduce work hours, travel long distances and in some cases consider leaving town, as concerns grow over the future of the local school and wider community.

After three years of discussions with the NSW Government and Department of Education, local families say they are still waiting for certainty around a sustainable childcare model that would support preschool aged children and provide before and after school care.

Gooloogong Public School P&C President Emma Marr said the community had spent years trying to work constructively with the Department of Education but families were becoming exhausted by the uncertainty.

“It’s been around three years that we’ve been fighting for a childcare facility in Gooloogong,” Ms Marr said.

The community, she said, is advocating for a long-term childcare solution that would support preschool children while also providing before and after school care for school aged children.

“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 age children.”

At present, the town only has a limited mobile childcare service operating between 9am and 3pm, which many families say does not align with working hours.

“We’ve got a facility in town at the moment that offers very limited hours, between nine and three,” Ms Marr said.

“For families that have children that are school age as well, it provides no additional support.”

Local parent Marissa Tedder said the lack of childcare and after school care had forced many families into difficult decisions regarding employment and long-term plans.

Ms Tedder, whose daughter attends Gooloogong Public School and son accesses the town’s limited childcare service, said families often had no choice but to travel considerable distances for care.

“Everything is more than a half an hour’s travel away for those kids to essentially get their start and attend any preschool or any form of care,” Ms Tedder said.

She said the lack of childcare meant parents were often restricted to working school hours, limiting income and opportunities.

“All of us are capped at working school hours, which limits our income,” Ms Tedder said.

“We can’t do anything.”

The uncertainty surrounding future childcare options had also made it difficult for families to plan ahead.

“We suggested it, and we’ve had no answers for a period of time, which makes it extremely hard to forward plan,” Ms Tedder said.

For Ms Tedder, the impact became deeply personal after recently making the difficult decision to step away from long-term employment.

“I’ve recently had to go to my employment 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 said the lack of support was making some families question whether staying in Gooloogong remained viable.

“For us as a family it would essentially mean selling up the farm and moving elsewhere,” she said.

Despite those frustrations, Ms Tedder described Gooloogong as an exceptional place to raise children.

“It’s a beautiful rural community that’s incredible,” she said.

“Our kids have such a wholesome upbringing and beautiful relationships with other kids in the community.”

Community leaders fear the absence of childcare services is already affecting school enrolments and threatening the future viability of Gooloogong Public School.

Ms Marr said many families had been forced to send children elsewhere simply because larger towns could better support working parents.

“In the last three years we’ve very easily lost over a quarter of our children to school buses,” Ms Marr said.

“Without childcare facilities, that’s their only option.”

She said the school had recently lost another potential enrolment because after school care was unavailable.

“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,” Ms Marr said.

For Ms Marr, the issue extends beyond childcare alone.

“If we lose this school, we feel like it’s the beginning of losing our local community,” she said.

Fourth generation local farmer Phillip Gray said reliable childcare and after school care were critical to helping families stay in Gooloogong.

Mr Gray, who attended Gooloogong Public School himself and now has children enrolled there, said balancing farming work with childcare responsibilities created significant pressure.

“It was challenging to have the kids at school and at daycare, and then with work try and fit it all in,” Mr Gray said.

“There’s always a time constraint to be able to get back and finish off the jobs you had planned for the day.”

He said improving childcare would help keep families, workers and children connected to the town.

“We want parents staying in the community,” Mr Gray said.

“It’s not only the kids coming to school, but it’s the parents staying around town as well.”

Ms Marr said Gooloogong had repeatedly shown it was willing to invest in itself and support local initiatives.

“In the last 10 years, we have brought in nearly $120,000 in grant funding every year,” Ms Marr said.

“We’re prepared to roll up our sleeves, and we invest in our little community.”

She said educators had already expressed interest in working locally and families were now simply seeking clarity.

“We’ve even had educators showing interest that have wanted to work at the facility,” Ms Marr said.

“We just need the department to sign the paperwork.”

“Our families are exhausted.”

Steph Cooke said the Gooloogong community had shown extraordinary patience and deserved action.

“This community deserves better,” Ms Cooke said.

“They need a preschool and they need before and after school care. It’s not rocket science.”

She warned the consequences of inaction could be severe, particularly as small regional schools continue to face pressure.

“The result will be closure of yet another school in this region,” Ms Cooke said.

“Providing that continuity of care from our very smallest learners right through to Year 6 is critical.”

In response, a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said, “we understand the challenges working families can face when securing early learning services".

“Unfortunately, low enrolments have been a barrier to the expansion of existing services or the establishment of new ones."

“The department will continue to work closely with Gooloogong Public School to explore options.”

The Department said an out of school hours service operated at Gooloogong Public School from 2022 to June 2023, when it ceased due to low enrolment numbers.

A mobile long day care service currently operates from the community hall two days per week, providing education and care for children aged 0-6 years.

The Department said the mobile provider had previously trialled extended operating hours, however due to low enrolment demand, the service reverted to preschool hours during school terms only.

It also noted that an early learning service established on school grounds and operated by a third party approved provider would require a formal procurement process.

The P&C can apply for provider approval with the NSW Early Learning Commission to operate an early learning service.

P&C operated out of school hours services on school sites are exempt from going to tender.

The NSW Early Learning Commission does not currently have a service approval application for Gooloogong Public School P&C.

The Department added that impacted families can use the Commonwealth Government’s Starting Blocks website to check availability of places in nearby services.