"It's not a case of if he's going to get it but when," she said.

It's a reality many parents have had to accept - given the rising number of cases thousands of new cases being reported each day by NSW Health across the state.

Like many others, Mrs Peabody is feeling anxious about sending Freddy to daycare, despite being confident the childcare centre is doing everything it can to mitigate any potential spread of the virus.

"We're in a situation where we don't have any alternative," she said.

"We don't have family around who can care for Freddy while my husband and I work.

"I've resigned myself to the fact that he's going to get it."

Another Port Macquarie resident Emma McKeough said she's feeling comfortable with sending her son Alexander to childcare, given there's only four children who attend on the same days as him.

"Obviously it's always still a risk when they are not vaccinated," she said.

Mrs McKeough and her husband are both triple vaccinated. She said it's the best evidence of protection against the Omicron strain.

However they continue to weigh up what outings they choose to take Alexander along to.

"We are still taking him out to places but are being careful with avoiding crowded locations," she said.

NSW Health is encouraging parents who have children aged from five to 11-years-old to book in for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, which begin on January 10.

However there is no COVID-19 vaccination which has been approved for use for children aged under five-years-old.

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said it is important people who are deemed high-risk contacts in early childhood education and care settings seek out immediate PCR tests prior to returning to the service, due to the vulnerability of children attending who cannot yet be vaccinated.

The department is supplying Rapid Antigen Home Testing kits to services who are impacted by a positive case, to minimise disruption in education settings and ensure continuity of support for families.

On January 3 childcare centres were issued with new information by the NSW Department of Education, to help determine the exposure risk of children and staff who have had contact with a positive case and expedite the response.

According to the website, all staff, children and visitors who are in attendance with a positive case for the 48 hours prior to a positive COVID-19 swab (PCR test) will be deemed a contact.

Meanwhile the Department of Education is working closely with NSW Health to finalise settings for the start of the new school year.

"The settings will be fit-for-purpose, while also providing time for schools to prepare for the beginning of classes on February 1," the spokesperson said.

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