The centre was purchased in 2007 and has been at capacity for the last three years but now funding has been secured for a neighbouring house to be converted into a preschool.

With community help, supporters have raised $100,000 towards the project and recently Cabonne Shire Council granted a $70,000 interest free loan to be paid off in the next four years.

Centre fundraising committee leader and expansion committee member Kate Strahorn said due to the council support, the centre will go from 50 preschool places a week to 100 and long day care places for children aged 0 to three will go from eight to 23.

Currently the preschool operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays but the new building will mean it can run five days a week, there will also be two long day care rooms, instead of one so two and three-year-olds will be separate from infants.

“We will be able to clear that wait list,” Mrs Strahorn said.

“We have a lot of families who because they have been on the wait list enrolled in Orange.”

She said it will also mean more children will be able to transition from the preschool to Molong Central School or St Joseph’s.

Mrs Strahorn said the development application will be submitted this side of Christmas and the council has been helpful in the lead -up to its submission.

“We hope to open in mid next year,” she said.

“We are certainly going to be pushing full steam ahead.”

She said because Molong is not considered a remote area and does not have a large indigenous population it was not eligible for many grants so the community has done most of the fundraising.

As well as the money raised through community fundraising, a ball that raised $42,000, and a lamb drive that raised $26,000, Mrs Strahorn said businesses have also been generous with some offering to volunteer labour once approval is granted.

“It’s been a community driven project, the community decided to do something for itself,” Mrs Strahorn said.

tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au