The State Government is bringing 19 more kinders to life in growing areas of Victoria, with a new round of grants supporting planning for vital kindergarten building projects.
Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh MP today announced that the Wellington Shire Council will share in $2.5 million of Building Blocks Planning grants of up to $150,000 each for planning, design and pre-construction work on kindergarten building projects.
The $150,000 grant to Wellington Shire Council will support planning activity for the Sale Integrated Centre for Children and Families to ensure the best for the local community.
Located on Gibson’s Road, the Sale Integrated Centre for Children and Families will bring together a range of services working in collaboration to deliver education, care, health and support services to children and their families in the North Sale growth area.
Helping prepare for and construct new Early Childhood infrastructure is a key part of the State Government’s rollout of free three- and four-year-old kinder across Gippsland to ensure all Victorian children get the best start to life.
Through the $14 billion Best Start, Best Life reforms, the State Government is transforming early childhood education to help children thrive, save families money and support parents – especially women – to return to work or study if they choose.
Applications for Building Blocks Planning grants of up to $150,000 are now accepted year-round – making it quicker and easier for eligible organisations in Gippsland to apply for funding that supports planning for new and expanded kinders.
The Building Blocks grants program also offers significantly increased Capacity Building grants of up to $4.5 million for new integrated children’s centres, $4 million for new early learning centres and $1 million for expansion projects – helping to build the new and expanded kinders Victoria’s littlest learners need, right across the state.
Previous recipients of the Building Blocks Capacity grants program in the Wellington Shire include Gumnuts Early Learning Centre, who received funding to expand creating an extra 66 kindergarten places for local families. Yarram Early Learning Centre were also recently awarded $2 million to undergo a two-room expansion ensuring local children can get the best start in life, close to home.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt
“We’re delivering unprecedented investment in early childhood services across Victoria to expand access to early education and help our children learn, grow and thrive.”
Quote attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh MP
“These grants will help plan projects that increase access to kindergarten for local families in Sale – and provide the funding to deliver the projects as the community grows.”
