But they’re also keen to ensure that staff from the existing service are retained in the new entity.

State MP Pru Goward announced on Thursday that Anglicare would lease the space and operate the childcare centre from early next year.

Parents, who lobbied long and hard for the existing centre’s continuation, were happy that their work had paid off.

“It’s a far better option than a few weeks ago when we had no option and we had to look for alternatives,” Byron Stein said.

“The fact that it’s remaining open is a positive step.

“The caveat on that is that we’re very keen to to see the current staff remain because of the level of care and love they give the children. That’s what makes it attractive to us as parents.”

Mr Stein said the four-month fight to keep the centre open had been stressful for staff and parents.

The former had looked at other job options while the latter had explored alternative childcare for next year.

Anglicare Goulburn executive manager Simon Bennett said his organisation approached TAFE in early November.

Within a few days TAFE’s district operations manager David Guthrey to give in-principle approval.

“Our plan is to operate a 45 to 50 place centre, pending licensing approvals and to continue to build the highest quality early education and care to serve the Goulburn community,” he said.

Given that licences can take up to 90 days, TAFE will continue to operate the centre until February or March next year.

Following approval, the facility will become ‘Anglicare Goulburn Early Childhood Centre.’

It will open 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday, 50 weeks per year, providing places to children from birth to school age.

Mr Bennett said it would serve the entire community, as well as those studying at TAFE but there was no agreed quota on the latter.

TAFE will surrender its licence and the existing five employees will be free to apply for any position.

“We are increasing the number of places so we will need more staff,” Mr Bennett said.

“Where possible we will support the existing employees but they also need to make a decision on what they are doing.”

Some had already agreed to take redundancy and looked for other jobs, knowing that the centre was closing.

Anglicare plans to meet with staff this week.

Mr Guthrey said negotiations with employees were continuing.

Anglicare already operates childcare services in Goulburn, other parts of southern NSW and Canberra.

“The scale Anglicare brings to our early childhood services in Goulburn means we have the opportunity to operate a high quality, financially sustainable service. Our hope is that the community will support this service and enrol their children now for 2016 ,” Mr Bennett said.

He told the Post the organisation would be reviewing how it provided its childcare services in light of the TAFE decision.

TAFE Illawarra has defended not going to tender on the continuation of childcare services at its Goulburn campus.

The agreement followed a direct approach from Anglicare to TAFE management.

The deal, yet to be finalised, is a turnaround from the education provider’s September announcement that the facility would close by December.

Parents lobbied hard to keep the 40- place centre open.

But questions remain on the process.

Ms Goward said she did not know why the service was not put to tender. She referred questions to Skills Minister John Barilaro’s office.

A spokesman for Mr Barilaro referred the Post to legislation stating that TAFE directors could approve leases without the Minister’s approval, provided the term didn’t exceed 21 years.

But he did not address questions on why, if one party was interested in delivering childcare services, it was not tendered to the open market.

District operations manager for TAFE Illawarra Goulburn, David Guthrey, said an expressions of interest process was not required in this instance.

In his view, the contract between TAFE and Anglicare was not one of “tendering for a service” but an agreement to make use of the space.

“Expressions of interest would have been (necessary) if we were seeking to tender out a service. All we are doing here is leasing a facility so that our TAFE facilities are used productively,” Mr Guthrey said.

“There was no tender process because what TAFE was intending to do was just to cease operation at the end of the calendar year.

“We felt in the Goulburn market that it was unlikely there would be people wanting to provide a childcare centre. We were pleasantly surprised when Anglicare approached us and said they would be interested in leasing the facility.”