Up to 90 Border families have been impacted after a Thugoona childcare centre has been temporarily closed due to flooding.
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During the Border's recent one in 100 year storm events the Goodstart Early Learning Centre was "significantly flooded" requiring an entirely new floor, according to Goodstart area manager Shannon Ritchie.
"The contaminated flooding made its way to about 90 per cent of the building," she said.
"Thankfully no one was injured as there was no one at the centre when this happened, but we've had to close while contractors are on site to repair the damage.
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"They have advised that they need four to six weeks to complete the works and once this is done, we'll be able to welcome all our families again."
Thurgoona resident Pippa Maddocks's four year old son, Cian, attends the centre five days a week, but since its closure, she's been unable to find alternative care for him.
"My husband and I both work full time, so with the centre being closed it's been really difficult trying to navigate that," she said.
"I've got my mum who does live here, but she's 72 and I cant expect her to look after a 4 year old five days a week for the next few weeks and my mother-in-law, she's 82, so I just can't expect them to do that."
Mrs Maddocks said there were up to 90 families at the centre who were in a similar situation.
"I know that there's lots of other families that I'm friends with that come to the centre, some of them them are having to get letters from Goodstart so they're not having to go to work ... and some are having to cancel shifts at work because they can't get care," she said.
Ms Ritchie said Goodstart had contacted all its families to help them find interim care at nearby centres, but Mrs Maddocks said all of the other centres were at capacity and couldn't take more children.
"I have actually rung our local member of parliament, so they are going to try to find out if they can get the numbers increased for emergency capacity numbers at their other centres within town," she said.
Mrs Maddocks would like to see emergency protocols put in place to support families if such a situation were to happen again.
"Because being told you've got no care for the next four to six weeks, that just throws everything into disarray," she said.
"I'm massively overwhelmed.
I'm massively overwhelmed.
- Pippa Maddocks
"I thought the centre would be closed for COVID, which it has been previously briefly because they didn't have enough staff, but I didn't predict that this was going to happen, so it's just a massive impact on us all round."
Member for Albury Justin Clancy suggested the centre work with council to find another temporary venue.
A spokesperson from Sussan Ley's office said they hoped there would be flexibility for centres to take on a few extra children safely.
"We'll put a call into ACECQA first thing Monday to see if there are any options here," they said.
"There may also be some local family day-care spaces temporarily available for parents without any other options, so this is another avenue which can be pursued."
Mrs Maddocks, who enrolls students into apprenticeships and traineeships for work, said the closure was part of a national shortage of childcare workers and centres.
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