The Department of Education and Training spokesperson, Grant Hatch, said the funding for early childhood education and training had not been pulled, just redirected.

He said there were two main reasons the department made the decision.

“Firstly the Department of Education and Training is responsible for the government funding for school age children,” he said.

“Secondly, since Parents As Teachers (PAT) was introduced there have been other government agencies introduced for the support of parents. Parents As Teachers is duplicating those services.

“We feel there was an issue where the funding was only going to a narrow focus,” he said.

“Support for Early Childhood Education through Parents as Teachers was only available in some locations.”

Coordinator of the Moree PAT at Moree Public School, Debbie Hamilton, has been in the position permanently since 2003, before that she was on a part-time basis for about a year and a half.

She was nominated for a Pride of Australia award by some of the parents from her Parents as Teachers program and was one of three finalists for the award.

“I have felt quite privileged to be working with so many wonderful families,” Ms Hamilton said.

Parents who attend the group are disappointed and feel their support network is being pulled down. “I’m just disappointed, I feel Moree is going to lose something really positive,” mother who attends the group, Sally Preston said.

She said being from Scotland, she doesn’t have family in Moree and PAT filled that gap for her as a new mum.

Mary Davison, another mother who attends the group moved to Moree when her daughter was 10-months-old.

“PAT was such a good influence,” she said.

“I honestly believe my family wouldn’t be in Moree if it wasn’t for that support. It’s a really big deal, all of us got very upset when we heard the news.

“I don’t know of any other service available, or any I know enough about, that I could use,” Ms Davison said. Moree Family Support is one of the organisations trying to cope with the influx of families who used to attend Parents as Teachers.