By Eleanor Wilson
Little learners in Pakenham are set to benefit from a new kinder facility, thanks to a shared $20.5 million State Government package into early childhood education.
Early childhood and pre-prep minister Ingrid Stitt visited Kurmboon Child and Family Centre in Officer on Wednesday 26 July to announce a $9 million contribution to the Thewlis Integrated Child and Family Centre (interim name).
Pakenham MP Emma Vulin, Cardinia Shire Council mayor Tammy Radford and Central Ward councillor Collin Ross were also in attendance for the announcement, which coincided with the official launch of the new Kurmboon Child and Family Centre.
Built in partnership with Cardinia Shire Council, the Thewlis centre will include a four-room kindergarten and three consulting rooms, providing space for maternal and child health services, playgroups and parenting programs as well as allied health services and wellbeing programs.
The new centre will be located next to Pakenham North West Primary School (interim name) when it opens in 2025 and will provide up to 132 kindergarten places for three- and four-year-olds – with the aim to help families ditch the double drop-off and make the transition to school easier.
Minister Stitt said Pakenham was chosen as one of three funding locations due to the fast growing nature of the area.
“We do our planning based on where we know the forward demand is going to be for places,” she said.
“This is a huge growth corridor and it is one of the priority areas for the Government to make sure there are enough kinder places over the journey of the whole reform, which is over 10 years, so we’re not only looking at where we need new builds but also where we might need to upgrade existing kinders as well.“
The investment is part of the government’s Building Blocks program, which also announced investments for two other kindergarten projects in growing communities across the state.
A further 231 kindergarten places will be provided from the partnership in the local government areas of Greater Bendigo and Mildura through a combined $11.5 million investment in new and upgraded facilities.
Marong Kindergarten, west of Bendigo, will receive $5.5 million to expand the existing service by up to 99 places by creating three additional kindergarten rooms and space for community services and family engagement.
Mildura Rural City Council will receive $6 million to create 132 places at Red Cliffs Kindergarten by transforming it into an Integrated Children’s Centre with kindergarten rooms, consultation rooms, toy library facilities and multi-use spaces all under one roof.
The Kurmboon Child and Family Centre opened to families late last year and offers a 66 place kindergarten service conveniently located next to Orchard Park Primary School.
Minister Stitt said the State Government was “absolutely serious“ about providing Victorian children with the facilities they need to thrive and looked forward to seeing children at Kurmboon “start their education journey on all the right notes“.
“This is a beautiful building and I know it will also really help teachers and educators to deliver their programs, having the fantastic facilities and the flexibility of the indoor outdoor design and so on“.
