EXPANDED childcare provision is being planned for Wellington after local parents raised concerns about securing adequate places in the town.

Groundworks have begun on the site of the new daycare provision planned by Blackdown Children’s Day Nursery in the grounds of their current nursery.

The new Blackdown Children’s Baby Hub will offer expanded childcare provision for under 2s and is planned to open in January 2027.

The team are already recruiting for the new baby hub including full-time baby room leader roles and have been inundated with enquiries from parents.

Blackdown Children’s Day Nursery owner Graham Brister-Thorne said: “At Blackdown, we are passionate about the Blackdown approach and creating a nurturing environment where both children and staff can thrive.

“We believe in investing in our team through high quality in house training, ongoing professional development and support to gain further qualifications.”

The Blackdown Children’s Day Nursery has been open since 2009 and plans to establish the new Blackdown Children’s Baby Hub came about after owner Graham Brister-Thorne recognised a lack of local provision.

Graham began the Day Nursery after working at a sport centre running the creche and parents comments led him to believe there was a need for another nursery.

The Day Nursery opened and now has 13 employees and currently has a provision for 45 children and babies. Now that provision looks set to expand again.

Graham said: “With, I believe, only 24 baby room places in the local nurseries including us and our own under 2’s room being full with six babies a day for the whole of 2027, we were turning away enquiries for baby spaces every few days.

“It made sense to try to create more availability plans to expand with the Baby Hub.”

He started looking for a unit back in the summer and the new Hub will offer 12 additional childcare places and will enable a lot of parents to go back to work, that otherwise would have had trouble accessing child care.

“I will be looking to make the Hub available free of charge at weekends for parents and children to get together for play, and social networking, have a cup of tea and exchange experiences and knowledge,” he added.

“Without childcare, many parents who are desperately trying to go back to work and earn enough to maintain a reasonable standard of living would be unable to do so, this will in turn put more money back into the local community.

"If you have a baby under 2, expecting a baby or even just thinking about starting a family please call us and come along for a visit and learn more about what we have to offer.

“I cannot stress how important it is to get your child on the waiting list as early as possible; I have babies on the waiting list right up to January 2028.

“The sooner you apply the higher up the list you will be and the more chance of getting the days you need.”