The shire’s interim solution was rolled out at a public meeting in Henty on Monday attended by parents and grand-parents of children requiring childcare to resume early next year.

Subject to funding agreements being signed off, staffing requirements met and a deal being struck with former provider Albury-Wodonga Community College to use the present venue, the replacement service should be in place by January 14.

“There are younger families living in this town who are dependent on this service,” acting mayor Doug Meyer said.

“It is not a council responsibility, but we’ve done something in a fortnight that other communities would probably take a couple of years to put in place.”

Cr Meyer said council’s decision to take on childcare would also secure plans for plans to open a new centre in Walla.

Parent Cathryn Singe has been pro-active in the retention of childcare in Henty and welcomed the council and government in coming up with a solution.

“If we don’t have parents with childcare come January 14 people will leave our community,” she said.

“We don’t have that option because we operate a farm.

“But there are teachers, people who work in agri services and the option for them was to move to Wagga or Albury.”

Mrs Singe said her reaction to AWCC pulling out as the childcare provider late last month was “utter disbelief” given the patronage of the service.

“I didn’t understand why a financial decision was made on five minutes’ notice,” she said.

“Surely a financial decision had a lot more preparation behind it.

“It’s quite clear the government has stood up and said it’s not a funding issue and as a community we’re happy to hear that.”

Sydney MP Craig Laundy represented education minister Dan Tehan at the Henty meeting.

“The multiplier effect in regional and rural communities on something like this would be disastrous,” he said.

“You’ve got working mums who would have to pull out of work, (but) we are the funder of these services, not a provider of the frontline services.”

Member for Farrer Sussan Ley said the community and shire needed to be congratulated on its response to the crisis.

“Greater Hume has stepped in at a critical moment and I believe they need strong acknowledgment,” she said.

“But Cathryn, the other parents and grand-parents, who have spoken today have made it very clear they are not going to let anyone off the hook.

“They need this service, they deserve this service and they are not happy about the way it was withdrawn so quickly.”

The Henty and Walla childcare issue is listed on the agenda of council’s final meeting for 2018 on Wednesday.