Vic Government to fund specialist ECEC provider upgrade

The Victorian Government will provide $500,000 from its Community Support Fund to upgrade the Kalparrin Early Childhood Intervention Service in Greensborough in Melbourne’s north.

The Kalparrin service provides support to children with disabilities or developmental delays – and their families – for more than 40 years by providing specialist programs, therapies and expert advice. Over the last four years, demand for Kalparrin’s services has increased by 400 per cent.

The funding will be used to help prepare the service for future growth, and will be put toward building nine new therapy rooms, a new education and training space, and the completion a full refurbishment of their existing facility.

Kalparrin’s local council is also contributing $300,000 for the renovation, with works scheduled to commence soon.

Kalparrin is a not-for-profit service that currently supports approximately 350 families, and also runs outside school hours care (OSHC) programs, financial training and fathers’ groups, as well as professional development workshops for early childhood educators.

The specialist provider hasa  team of 32 early childhood intervention specialists, including speech pathologists, occupational therapists, dietitians and psychologies that work with families to ensure their child’s social, intellectual, physical and developmental needs are being met.

Member for Bundoora Colin Brooks said “The local kids who come to Kalparrin with their families deserve every chance to thrive. That’s why [Member for Eltham] Vicki Ward and I fought hard to get this funding to improve facilities – they deserve it.”