More families in Victoria will be able to access the kindergarten services they deserve with four projects being fast-tracked to create over 200 additional enrolment places for children thanks to the Victorian Government.
Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt today announced four Building Blocks grants worth a total of approximately $6 million are being fast-tracked to upgrade, build and expand four kindergarten projects across the state, allowing more places for local children to start their early education sooner.
These projects include $2 million to construct a new Family and Community Centre in Clyde, a $2 million grant towards building an Integrated Children’s Centre at the site of Pinewood Kindergarten in Mount Waverley, $952,500 upgrade to deliver another room for three-year-olds at Irymple Kindergarten in Mildura.
The funding also delivers a one-room modular kindergarten building to expand the Beaufort Early Childhood Centre.
In an Australian-first, the Labor Government is investing almost $5 billion to deliver a full 15 hours of Three-Year-Old Kinder to children across the state over this decade, with the roll-out beginning in selected areas in 2020 and expanding in 2022 to support five hours of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten state-wide.
As part of this roll-out, the Government is upgrading infrastructure through a $1.68 billion co-investment with the early childhood sector to build and expand kindergarten facilities across the state.
This investment includes the delivery of a number of new kindergartens on existing school sites to support the roll-out of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, providing benefits through co-location of facilities and convenience for families.
The Labor Government is also ensuring that every new Victorian primary school set to open from 2021 will have a kindergarten on-site or next door, reducing the burden on parents and helping to build the Education State. This includes all 10 new primary schools which opened in 2021 and all six new primary schools opening in 2022.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt
“We’re delivering unprecedented investment in early childhood services across Victoria to help our kids and their families access better quality programs and facilities.”
“We’re proud to be boosting early childhood services in Victoria because we know how important the early years are in setting our kids up for the rest of their lives.”
Reviewed 08 June 2021