High hopes for early childhood centre
BestStart Wooing Tree opened at the end of April on the edge of the new neighbourhood, beside State Highway 8B and close to the entrance of the pedestrian tunnel under the highway, linking it to the town centre.
"Interest from local families has been very strong, which reflects the growing need for early childhood education in the Cromwell area," centre manager Emma Stone told The News.
"We've had a steady stream of inquiries and are now taking enrolments."
For months — if not years — some parents were enrolling their children as soon as they learned they were pregnant, desperate to secure a spot in a town where demand for childcare for under-5s vastly outstripped supply.
Cromwell-based mothers support group Mums4Mums co-ordinator Kylie Murdoch said the shortage had placed enormous stress on working households, particularly those dependent on two incomes to manage the region's higher-than-average housing costs.
Ms Murdoch said it was still too early to know the impact of the opening of the new centre, but feedback from young families suggested demand was "levelling out".
Parents had told other media in the area that the lack of childcare availability had made it difficult — if not impossible — for some to return to work after parental leave, with women disproportionately affected.
Some had jobs lined up or contracts signed, only to be forced to delay or abandon their return to the workforce because they could not secure the hours they needed in care.
Ms Murdoch said, with the changing job market, she just hoped enough work opportunities would be available for parents that needed them as childcare became more available.
Ms Murdoch said there was one upside to the childcare squeeze, "it's created a sense of community with the mums".
"They've worked together and found other ways [to support each other]."
Meanwhile, Ms Stone advised families interested in enrolling children at the Wooing Tree preschool to "get in touch as soon as possible".
BestStart Wooing Tree can cater for up to 80 children, aged three months to 6 years.
Soon-to-be-4-year-old Tyson Browne told The News his favourite thing about the centre was its slide.
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