In an exclusive column for The Border Mail, Ms McGowan said the Coalition knew its “one size fits all” reforms would be an issue for services such as Albury-Wodonga community early years childcare after Education Minister Simon Birmingham spoke to families during his November visit.

Senator Birmingham fired back this week and accused the Indi MP of “political grandstanding”.

“It is disappointing that Cathy McGowan is misleading the people of Indi when she says the Turnbull government’s reforms to early childhood education and care will leave regional and rural communities worse off,” he said in a letter.

“Let me reassure families in Indi that they will benefit from early childhood education and care reforms, which have been designed with regional Australia in mind.”

Albury-Wodonga Community College staff can deliver early childcare to 330 families in North East Victoria and Southern NSW because it is eligible for funding through the current system.

Senator Birmingham argued most families would be better off under a new funding model and increased rebate cap, and a $1 billion “childcare safety net” would help mobile services in regional areas which would not otherwise be viable.

“Political grandstanding aside, Australian families and families in Indi are crying out for Parliament to support the Turnbull government’s child care reforms,” he said.

“I’m talking to Cathy to make sure she understands how our reforms will help families in Indi.

“Ultimately, I hope Cathy will back these changes so we can make childcare more affordable, accessible and flexible for Australian families.”

But Ms McGowan was supported by National Association of Mobile Services chairperson Anne Bowler, who said mobile childcare was under threat. She said if legislation comes into effect as planned in June 2018, mobile services would stop in remote areas such as Oaklands and Kergunyah because “the other model is about numbers and viability”.

The Coalition was facing a struggle to pass its childcare reforms following a plan from Nick Xenophon's Senate bloc to oppose the bill after it was linked to other welfare and disability reforms.

It is disappointing that Cathy McGowan is misleading the people of Indi (Childcare policies ignore rural needs) when she says the Turnbull Government’s reforms to early childhood education and care will leave regional and rural communities worse off.

Families in cities, in regional centres and in the bush know that our early childhood education and care system is not working for them.

Let me reassure families in Indi that they will benefit from the Turnbull Government’s early childhood education and care reforms, which have been designed with regional Australia in mind.

Many services in regional and rural areas are part of a scheme set up 40 years ago that limits the amount of funding they can get from the Government, and stops them from growing to support more families.

The Turnbull Government plans to fix that. We want to transition those services to our proposed new model of funding that targets increased support towards those families working the most and earning the least, while our ‘Child Care Safety Net’ worth $1 billion will help services that might not otherwise be viable – like some mobile playgroups or education and care services in regional and remote communities.

We’ll also remove the $7500 rebate cap for families earning under $185,000 and lift it to $10,000 for those earning above that amount. That’s welcome news to the tens of thousands of families that hit that cap before the end of the financial year, forcing children to be pulled out of child care or for a parent to stop working to look after them.

Overall, official analysis shows our reforms are set to benefit around one million families across the country.

We will also remove red tape that currently stops child care services from only operating on certain days or for limited hours, which should also help regional Australia where five day a week, full time services may be unviable.

The Turnbull Government knows that early education and care is a vital part of the decisions families make about where they live and what sort of work they commit to. That’s why we’ve taken the time to meet with families and services across the country to help develop our reforms, it’s why I’ve been out to see the services in Indi in action, and it’s why we’ve put in the time to consult with experts, input from the Productivity Commission and two Senate inquiries.

Political grandstanding aside, Australian families and families in Indi are crying out for Parliament to support the Turnbull Government’s child care reforms.

I’m talking to Cathy to make sure she understands how our reforms will help families in Indi. Ultimately, I hope Cathy will back these changes so we can make child care more affordable, accessible and flexible for Australian families.