More hands needed for little minds

Key points

• Molong Early Learning Centre is urgently recruiting qualified educators to fill several vacancies, with more than 70 children on its waiting list. Service director Shanie Duncan said the not-for-profit centre is not at risk of closing, but ongoing staffing shortages could force it to reduce enrolments if mandatory educator-to-child ratios cannot be met.
• Ms Duncan said workforce shortages across the sector, along with travel distances and fuel costs in regional areas, have made recruitment harder.
• The centre, established in 1972, is Molong's only long day care facility and plans to introduce a trainee in the coming year.