Supply & Demand

Early childhood facilities improved for Ouyen families

Freya Lucas

Sep 18, 2019

Save

Families in the Victorian town of Ouyen will soon have access to “bigger and better” early years facilities thanks to funding from the Victorian Government.

Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education Sonya Kilkenny visited Mallee Minors Childcare Centre in Ouyen yesterday to officially open its $178,779 upgrade.

The upgrade included an extension of the building to co-locate a three-year-old Kindergarten program, provide an additional reception and multipurpose area, and give families access to a wider range services such as Maternal and Child Health and speech pathology services.

The centre has also been refurbished to provide children with “a nicer learning environment to enjoy so they can get the most out of their time at kindergarten,” a spokesperson said.

More than $157,000 was provided to the Mallee Track Health and Community Service, which operates Mallee Minors, through a Children’s Facilities Capital Program grant.

The upgrade forms part of the state’s “biggest early education build” which will continue over the coming years, with the Victorian Government to invest more than $1.68 billion over the next decade to build or upgrade approximately 1,000 kinders as part of a broader $5 billion commitment to deliver a full 15 hours of three-year-old kinder to every Victorian child over the next decade.

More information about the Victorian Government’s investment in three-year-old kindergarten and the broader early childhood sector in the 2019/20 Budget can be found here.

Don’t miss a thing

1000 new free preschool places to open in the Hunter, NSW Government announces

A major investment in public preschools is set to create 1,000 new places for young children across the Hunter region, as part of the NSW Government’s plan to expand access to free early learning.

Expanding access to early education in regional South Australia: New investment brings services closer to families

Access to quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is central to children’s development, family wellbeing and community prosperity. In a significant joint commitment, the Albanese and Malinauskas governments have announced a major expansion of early learning infrastructure in regional South Australia, delivering new and expanded services where families need them most.

Stunning Sydney childcare centre sells for $11.5 million

A newly completed childcare centre in Sydney’s south-west has sold for $11.5 million reflecting a 5.26 per cent yield highlighting continued investor demand for defensive assets with long-term income security.

Four new kindergartens to open in Greater Geelong in Term 1 2026

Families in the City of Greater Geelong can lodge expressions of interest for four new kindergartens scheduled to open in Term 1, 2026, expanding local access to sessional kindergarten as communities continue to grow.

Rural families may have “three days” on paper, but access still hinges on supply and In Home Care rules

Most of the early childhood sector is across the basics of the 3 Day Guarantee. The sharper question for rural and remote communities is whether a larger subsidy entitlement can be converted into actual hours of care when services are scarce, distances are long, and the only viable option is often In Home Care (IHC).

1000 new free preschool places to open in the Hunter, NSW Government announces

A major investment in public preschools is set to create 1,000 new places for young children across the Hunter region, as part of the NSW Government’s plan to expand access to free early learning.