Ms Lymbery proudly states that community centres can't imagine working any other way. "For us, it's not just the most profitable model, but what each community needs."

Practically, this means there may be more baby places or more preschool places. It might also alter a centre's hours of operation to accommodate parents working far away.

Perhaps most importantly, all surplus funds are reinvested in the community.

And although community centre fees may not be cheaper than major chains of child care, "we have a higher quality and higher ratios of staff." Ms Lymbery points out fees are always cheaper outside cities.

Many community organisations also have equity and resources they can use to partner with government. "Many communy centres open their facilities to the broader community."

Ms Lymbery has a concern about chain operators that is now being openly expressed by industry experts, financiers and parents alike.

"We believe no more than 5% of [child care] positions should be control the by one entity."

ABC's rapid expansion saw them opening centres close to smaller or struggling centres that soon became unviable"

"They could open up anywhere,' she says. "We had definitely seen some instances of them being predatory. There was a small number of services they had to close. This happened in Queensland and certainly in NSW."

Ms Lymbery believes the causes of the ABC Learning meltdown lie with the previous government ignoring the pleas of the industry.

"It is really sad that it has taken a crisis like this for something to be done."

"It has been really difficult for this government to manage."

"When the last minister, Larry Anthony, lost his position, he went quite quickly from losing his seat to, in just a few months, being on the board of ABC [Learning]."

"It's very disappointing."

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