The Telegraph Point Children’s Centre has about 20 children enrolled and also caters as an out of school hours (OOSH) facility and vacation care centre. 

Parent and Telegraph Point resident Casey Mitchell said it is the only centre in town and is greatly utilised by the community.  

Ms Mitchell said parents have tried to contact the Department of Education but have not been given a reason as to why the centre has to close. 

“This is not reassuring to a community that needs a viable childcare option and will soon be required to travel at least 15 to 20 minutes to the next town for care,” she said. 

Parent Amanda Jarick is the mother of four children under four-years-old including 22-month-old triplets. She said there are some people who have tried to enrol their children but have not been able to due to the centre’s uncertain future. 

“There are some people who won’t move to Telegraph Point now because there isn’t going to be a preschool here for them,” she said. 

In December 2016 the current business owner Jennifer Worthing did not renew a lease with the Department of Education for the land on which the childcare business resides. She said she has decided not to continue with another five year lease. 

Ms Mitchell said the intention was to have the department issue a tender and lease of land to either a new provider or have a community association continue care.

“There was at no point the intention to have no care for our children,” she said.  

Ms Worthing said she wants to sell the building to a successful tenderer.

Ms Worthing said the Department of Education told her they haven’t accepted that because they haven’t decided if they will tender for a childcare centre at all. 

“I’m still hoping that the community will be able to get the tender process happening,” she said.  

Ms Worthing said she was told on June 6 she had to remove the building and cease operating on June 23. 

Ms Worthing said the tender process isn’t reliant on whether she keeps the building or not.

“They are tendering for the land they are not tendering for the building,” she said. 

Parents of the preschool said the transition to kindergarten has been made easy as their children are involved in school events such as Easter hat parades and orientation weeks.

They said this gives them the opportunity to become familiar with the school, teachers and fellow students.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education confirmed the existing lease between the Department of Education and Jaaiwood Ptd Ltd (Jennifer Worthing) expires on June 23. 

“The service provider did not exercise the option to renew its lease under the terms of the contract, but has asked for the lease to be transferred to a new provider,” he said. 

The spokesperson said the department is not in a position to transfer the lease, as the approved service provider’s lease expires on June 23.

“Any new pre-school service on the school site would need to be tendered, as required, under government procurement guidelines,” he said. 

“The department is not able to re-tender the service until the current provider has confirmed their intentions with regard to the building, which is their property.”

The Local Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams said the Department of Education is working with parents to look at preschool options for their children. 

“My priority is to ensure that all children receive a quality early childhood education in the year before they start formal school,” she said. 

“I will continue to keep working with parents, the school and the wider community to make sure that all children have access to preschool.”