Daylesford's only childcare centre is at capacity with a waiting list of 80 children.

To address the dilemma, council officers have put forward a series of recommendations, including the development of a no-interest loan scheme to assist in Daylesford Community Child Care Centre's recruitment and attraction of family day carers.

The officers have also called for the development of a long-term plan to meet the community's child care needs.

Hepburn Shire Council was expected to meet last night to discuss the recommendations, in which up to $1500 could be available for 12 months for up to 10 approved carers.

The Advocate recently spoke with Glenlyon resident Natasha Johnston, who had been on the waiting list at Daylesford Community Child Care Centre for two years.

While child care is available in a number of forms - including family day care, in which registered child care workers provide child care within their own home - demand currently exceeds supply.

Daylesford Community Child Care Centre coordinator Julie McLean said it was great to see council focusing on the community's childcare needs.

"It's very topical. We're getting quite a bit of pressure from lots of different areas, including local employers, but the child care centre can't get anyone in," she said. "Demand is growing."

She said increasing family day care places in the shire was the obvious short-term solution and establishing a no-interest loan scheme was "a good start", because of the set-up costs involved.

"A lot of homes in country areas such as ours don't meet the fairly strict compliance we must meet," Ms McLean said.

"They (no-interest loans) won't be a complete answer but it's one way of hopefully attracting carers."

Ms McLean said long-term planning was also required and there would be no "instant solutions".

"It needs to be not just the council. It needs to be employer groups in the area who will ultimately reap the benefits of employees' access to childcare.

"We'd definitely support a long-term plan, even if it is another child care centre in five years time."

In their report to councillors, council officers said the planned establishment of a new 60 place long day care centre to open in Creswick next year would assist in addressing the childcare need, but may have minimal impact in the eastern part of the shire.