The Victorian Government is creating thousands of extra kinder places with a huge statewide boost to early education infrastructure ─ making sure young children across the state can access and enjoy Three-Year-Old Kinder.
Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt today announced an investment of over $60 million for new and existing kindergartens, including $47 million towards a Building Blocks partnership with Wyndham City Council ─ the first collaboration of its kind with a local council, creating more than 3,600 kinder places across Wyndham by 2029.
The new partnership provides greater investment certainty for kindergarten projects ─ delivering a pipeline of 17 planned new and expanded kindergartens sites in Wyndham to support the roll-out of the landmark kinder reform.
The first stage of the partnership will see nine early childhood infrastructure projects delivered by 2025, creating more than 1,800 15-hour funded kindergarten places.
Projects include the recently announced two-room modular kindergarten in Point Cook for 2022 and three-room integrated children's centres in Wyndham Vale, Werribee West and Truganina across 2023 and 2024.
Communities in Hoppers Crossing South, Point Cook North and Tarneit will also benefit from new integrated early childhood centres.
The Government has also provided funding support to deliver an additional eight early childhood infrastructure projects in Wyndham between 2025 and 2029 ─ boosting kindergarten places to over 3,600 for the community.
Across the state, a further $13.3 million in Building Block Capacity grants have been announced to help expand and modify 10 services ahead of the statewide roll-out of Three-Year-Old Kinder in 2022.
Kinder services in Ballarat, Cardinia, Geelong, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moreland, Wellington Shire and the Yarra Ranges will benefit from the funding to build new centres, renovate buildings and rooms, improve outdoor play areas and upgrade facilities ─ creating 561 funded kindergarten places.
In an Australian first, the Victorian Government is investing almost $5 billion this decade to provide three-year-old children with access to an additional year of funded kindergarten programs.
As part of this roll-out, the Government is co-investing $1.68 billion with the early childhood sector to build and expand kindergarten facilities across Victoria.
As stated by Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt
"This council partnership is the first of what we hope will be many to support the roll-out of Three-Year-Old Kinder by delivering a pipeline of works to create new and expanded kinders for local Victorian communities."
As stated by Wyndham City Council Mayor Adele Hegedich
"Wyndham City welcomes the Building Blocks Partnership and this major pipeline of investment in Wyndham."
"About 100 babies are currently being born each week in Wyndham, which means we need long-term planning and funding for kindergarten services to keep pace with this ongoing boom."
