Mayor Robert Taylor was there on Tuesday to do the honours and to have a look through Juniors Journey, which is on a block next to the Eglinton General Store.

Centre manager Naomi O'Donnell said the original plan was for the childcare centre to open at the end of 2021, but it was delayed, in part, due to the disruptions caused by COVID.

In the end, the childcare centre opened on June 20 this year (the mayor's ribbon-cutting has now made it official) and it proved an immediate hit.

"It took three weeks to fill up one of the rooms [Juniors Journey has a nursery room, toddler room and preschool room] and we're currently at 95 per cent of capacity," Ms O'Donnell said.

"We've got a wait list already, too.

"We've had a lot of positive feedback from the community that have recommended their friends and family to join the waiting list."

IN OTHER NEWS: Have a look at what Kelso's Colleen found in an old magpie nest that fell from her tree

Ms O'Donnell said the centre has 42 children across the day, employs 15 people and, like so many other parts of the industry, has faced some challenges in finding staff.

"There's a huge, huge shortage of staff at the moment, so it has been good to have our core staff, but it's not easy to get new staff," she said.

She said there was a need for a new childcare centre in Eglinton, where hundreds of houses have been built in recent years as new land has been opened up, but Juniors Journey is also used by a number of families from the Billywillinga area.