EXPANDING KINDERGARTEN PLACES FOR MELTON FAMILIES
The Andrews Labor Government is giving families in Melton access to bigger and better kindergarten services, with a new round of grants meaning more kinder places and upgraded services to give every Victorian child the best start in life.
Member for Melton Steve McGhie today announced a $3.3 million Building Blocks Grant for Bacchus March Montessori Uniting Kindergarten to increase kindergarten places.
The upgrade of Bacchus March Montessori Uniting Kindergarten will include the demolition of the existing kindergarten building, to be replaced with a 3-room modular kindergarten and the construction of a new outdoor learning space.
This is one of eight successful grant recipients announced to share in $14.7 million through the Building Blocks capacity building stream, which provides new kindergarten places across Victoria.
The Labor Government is delivering a nation-leading overhaul of early childhood education and care, with a massive $9 billion investment into Best Start, Best Life over the next decade to save families money and support women to return to the workforce.
Three-Year-Old Kinder is already rolling out across the state, expanding universal access to 15 hours of government-funded kinder every week – and from next year, it will be free.
Four-Year-Old Kinder will also be free from 2023 onwards, providing much-needed relief for family budgets and giving more women a choice to return to the workforce.
With 90 per cent of a child’s brain developing before the age of five, early education has a profound effect on the way children develop – and making sure there are no barriers to families accessing more early play-based learning for their children.
In addition to these nation-leading reforms, and to help address the current shortage of available childcare places, the Government will build 50 government-operated and affordable childcare centres in areas that need them most.
The Government is also making sure every new Victorian primary school opening from 2021 will have a kindergarten on-site or next door – building coordinated education precincts in our communities and helping families avoid the dreaded double drop-off.
Quote 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 facilities.”
Quote attributable to Member for Melton Steve McGhie
“We’re proud to be boosting early childhood services in Melton – because we know how important the early years are in setting our kids up for the rest of their lives.”
“Best Start, Best Life will save families $2,500 per year per child, support 24,000 mothers back into the workforce and deliver a boost of up to $2.8 billion to the Victorian economy.”
