By Derek Schlennstedt
A community-run child care centre in Olinda has achieved the milestone of 10 years.
The Hills Community Child Care (HCCC) began in 2008 after a small band of Dandenong Ranges families were left without occasional care places for their children and decided to take matters into their own hands.
Ten years later the not-for-profit service is still going strong, filling the child care needs of more than 30 local families.
The Olinda-based service is overseen by a volunteer committee of parents, including two of the founding members – Sue and Iain Fraser who were instrumental in the launch of HCCC, after the expansion of the four-year-old kindergarten program at Mount Dandenong Preschool resulted in it removing its occasional child care program.
“There was no childcare on the ridge other than family day care, which was heavily booked with long waiting lists,” Mr Fraser said.
“There was a year in recess while HCCC formed a committee and looked at different venues and models on how it would run.”
“A former principals’ residence beside the Olinda Primary School was selected as the site and the group of parents lobbied what was then the Department of Human Services for a licence.”
The Frasers’ children are now aged 11 and 13 – well beyond the need for child care, however Mrs Fraser remains heavily involved as enrolments officer and Mr Fraser only recently stepped down as HCCC committee president.
The two reflected on the hard work that was required to get HCCC off-the-ground.
“Looking back, it was a large volume of work to get established, with many hours spent by a dedicated group of parents writing our policies, liaising with the department, renovating the facility to comply with regulations and keeping the community informed on our progress,” Mr Fraser said.
“Our biggest hurdle was sourcing some start-up capital as ‘crowd funding’ didn’t exist 10 years ago.
“We will be forever grateful to Mt Evelyn Bendigo Community Bank for an initial $5000 start-up grant.”
Current president Sarah Jackson said HCCC would not be where it is today without the invaluable efforts of the founding members.
Currently the child care groups employs four local staff and several casual staff, and operates 9:15am to 2:15pm three days a week, with a view to go to four.
“It is with the greatest gratitude that we thank them for their hard work and continued support as we celebrate the next 10 years to come,” Ms Jackson said.
