“These aren’t the large corporations; these are family-run centers expressing uncertainty about their future,” Craig Ryan, director of Kids Active, shared with 9News.

The grant offered to these centers is determined by the number of children they serve and the hours of care provided.

Providers argue that there’s a financial gap, as the federal funding doesn’t fully cover staff wages, leaving them to make up the shortfall.

“I have to balance the center’s financial stability with the need for adequate staffing,” Ryan explained.

“The process should be straightforward – I can present my salary expenses, and receive compensation for any excess,” he added.

Since the introduction of the grant a year ago, the federal government reports that approximately 15,000 workers have joined or re-entered the sector.

“The changes that we have made, have meant that the average educator gets about an extra $200 week in their pocket,” Assistant Minister to the PM, Patrick Gorman, said.

Owners of Eden Early Learning say they’ve had to take drastic measures just to stay afloat, including reducing staff numbers right before Christmas.

“The Prime Minister’s been very open about his view, that some form of a universal education care system is the sort of model that we want to investigate,” Gorman said.

Ryan said he just wants the government to “do right by us, that’s all I’m asking”.