Mayor, Cr Kevin Erwin said there had been discussion in the community about the issue and that both councillors and staff had been contacted by concerned parties.

''The major concern has been that the issue was dealt with in open council before the carers were consulted about the change.

'' It was our intention to consider the proposal made by Wimmera Uniting Care to operate the Family Day Care service here, in closed council first, but we are only human and these errors do occur from time to time.

''All Council agendas are made available beforehand and the meetings are always open to the public.

''We understand this is not practical for everyone, however, so we did contact our carers the following morning to discuss the issue and met with them personally as soon as possible,'' Cr Erwin said.

Council is continuing its transition work with Wimmera Uniting Care and maintains their belief that the organisation will deliver a high-quality service, equal to that of council, for both staff and families.

Manager community planning, Greg Little, said the plans were progressing well.

''Wimmera Uniting Care has conducted a number of meetings with the four Family Day Care carers and is preparing for home visits over the next couple of weeks. They have also advertised for new carers and were excited about the possibility of the program expanding under their guidance.

''We sincerely hope that those carers who have worked with us will continue on as Family Day Care Carers in the Northern Grampians Shire and we are looking forward to celebrating their success and hard work to date before their contracts with council end.

''This move is all about ensuring the carers have the capacity to continue doing the job they love and are very good at, to provide the choice of care for the families and children in our region,'' Mr Little said.

Mr Little said he was happy to discuss any issues regarding the change to Family Day Care and encouraged concerned families to contact him on 5358 8700.