New before and after-school service at Li’l Achievers

Before and after-school care is set to get a little easier in Gunnedah with the opening of a new service operated by Li’l Achievers Early Learning Centre.

Many young families in Gunnedah will be familiar with the centre which has operated a long day care service for several years.

After a recent expansion of its existing service, which caters for babies through to preschool-aged children, Lil Achievers will now also offer child care for primary school children as well.

The refurbished before and after-school area at Li’l Achievers, which originally accommodated the babies and toddlers’ rooms, now features a games room, chill out room and dining area for the primary school children.

Outside, Li’l Achievers has laid new concrete to incorporate a basketball court, a separate handball court and mini synthetic soccer field. The before school service will operate from 6.30-8.30am and 3-6.30pm after school. During school holidays, it will also host vacation care with variable hours available from 6.30am to 6.30pm.

Li’l Achievers co-owner Richard Patriquin said the centre will offer a ‘one-stop drop’ for working mums and dads in Gunnedah.

“Parents can drop their younger children at long day care and the older kids at before-school care … we’ll take them to school, pick them back up in the afternoon, so the parent has only one place to go,” he said.

As the demand for child care in Gunnedah grows exponentially, the new service is also expected to have a wider benefit for the community with less disruption at local workplaces.

“We found our parents were having to leave work early, pick up children from school and either take them back to work or find placements elsewhere,” Richard said.

“So the good thing for the community is that people will be able to work their normal hours knowing their children are being looked after.”

After the opening of the before and after-school service on March 6, the centre will be able to accommodate 98 long day care spaces and 30 before and after-school placements.