It's something NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Development John Barilaro said the community has been fighting for for a long time.
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On February 14 he announced $1.3 million will go towards a new childcare centre and preschool in Parkes.
The former unutilised community health building, located within the old Parkes Hospital precinct in Coleman Street, will be transformed into the new Central West Family Day Care base that's currently located in an old house in Dalton Street.
It will house an integrated early childhood education facility, preschool, before and after school care, and vacation care for children from birth to 12 years - all under the same roof and at a cost of just over $2 million.
Central West Family Day Care also has links to Currajong Disability Services and the new centre will enable them to better accommodate families.
Central West Family Day Care service coordinator, Ann-Marie Winter, was thrilled with the announcement and is hoping to move into the new, renovated facility within 12 to 18 months.
"We have absolutely outgrown our current premises," she said.
"It's quadruple the space and it will be a centre that will accommodate the whole community.
"We have 51 educators and at least 300 families use our services a week.
"The relocation into a larger, fit-for-purpose facility will allow the Family Day Care to expand to facilitate additional services including preschool, before and after school care and vacation care."
Ms Winter said the additional space will also allow them to look at complementary services utilising the rooms for consultation, such as occupational therapists, speech pathologists, dental checks, auditory services, inclusion support meetings, parenting classes, child assessments, mother’s groups, breast feeding association meetings, conferences, play groups, and the delivery of Certificate III in Early Childhood courses.
"It's been in the works for three years," she said.
"With everything that is happening in Parkes at the moment, with the town's growth and people moving here, families will be looking for a - employment and b - childcare.
"We're looking into facilitating that."
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The new facility has the potential to create three to five new jobs in its early stages, Ms Winter said, depending on demand.
The renovations will include the construction of indoor and outdoor play and learning areas; safe, off-street drop off and pick up areas, landscaping and wheelchair access.
Parkes Shire Council manages the Central West Family Day Care Service for Parkes, Forbes, Condobolin and surrounding districts as far as Bathurst and Portland, near Lithgow.
Councillor Patricia Smith said their focus is supporting a growing shire into the future.
"With major developments happening in Parkes currently - namely the construction of the Inland Rail, the first Special Activation Precinct, the expansion of CMOC Northparkes Mine and the Clean TeQ Sunrise project, we recognised that we must invest in the delivery of a quality educational facility to ensure we can meet the needs of those new families and businesses relocating to the region over the next decade," she said.
The Deputy Premier, accompanied by candidate for Orange Kate Hazelton, visited Parkes to make the funding announcement, as well as a number of other announcements that day - including the opening of the new Parkes Community Centre around the corner.
Mr Barilaro said the Central West children’s service is one of 11 projects funded by the sixth round of the Resources for Regions program.
“I congratulate Parkes Shire Council on this funding win and thank them for their financial contribution to the project, which will help this great mining community continue to thrive and support the NSW economy,” he said.
Ms Hazelton said the new childcare centre is what Parkes needs.
“We know childcare is one of the most sought after services by families considering moving to Parkes and this funding will enable children aged zero to 12 years to be cared for in a safe environment, giving parents peace of mind,” she said.
“[The new centre] will complement other Parkes early childhood services already offering high quality services, providing parents with more choice and convenience.”
Central West Family Day Care Scheme is an approved community service of Parkes Shire Council, regulated by the NSW Education and Communities - Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate, and is funded by the Department of Education and Training.
