A new integrated children’s centre in Springvale brings together kindergarten and family and children’s health services under the one roof, meaning better access for Springvale families.
Premier and Member for Mulgrave Daniel Andrews and Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos opened the $1 million Springvale Rise Primary Kindergarten today, co-located next to Springvale Rise Primary School.
The new one-stop-shop accommodates a range of services to support local families and children, including three- and four-year-old kindergarten programs and Maternal and Child Health services.
It will also have the capacity to run playgroups and parents groups.
The project, which has seen the Sandown Park Kindergarten relocate, provides 36 new places for its four-year-old kindergarten program to meet growing demand for kindergarten services in the area.
Co-locating kindergartens with primary schools creates a smooth transition for children as they move into prep.
The Victorian Government contributed $650,000 to the project, with the City of Dandenong also contributing.
The Andrews Labor Government is investing $50 million in the early childhood sector through the building and upgrading of kindergartens and children’s centres.
Infrastructure projects such as these ensure local children’s services have the space and flexibility they need to deliver 15 hours of kindergarten alongside a range of other vital early years programs.
The Labor Government is also delivering up to $83.7 million over four years to support the implementation of improved educator-to-child ratios from 2016.
Families are benefitting from improved staff-to-child ratios which will allow more one-on-one time for every child and boost the value they receive from time spent at kindergarten in preparation for school.
Quotes attributable to the Premier and Member for Mulgrave Daniel Andrews
“Springvale children and their families will benefit greatly from the opportunities and services this new centre brings.”
“We know that providing the very best in early childhood services greatly improves the life chances of every child and that’s exactly what we are doing.”
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos
“The Andrews Labor Government is making Victoria the Education State – which means strengthening our early childhood services to give every child the best start in life.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020