Balcatta welcomes first early childhood service, despite COVID challenges

Despite hosting six outside school hours care options, the Perth suburb of Balcatta, until now, had no options for early learning. 

That changed this morning, with the opening of Balcatta’s first dedicated early learning facility, Discovery Kids Early Learning Centre, located on Main Street. 

Speaking with local news source Perth Now service owner Josephine Rodi-Germano said that despite ongoing challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff were keen to welcome children and families to the service from today. 

“This was a process that started a while ago, the building just kept going and coronavirus came in the middle of that,” she said, adding that she was confident that her team would provide the community with a good centre for children to come and start their early learning.

Local council, the City of Stirling, approved the build in February 2019, and Ms Rodi-Germano said the service, which caters for children from 2.5 to 4 years of age, gives children “the opportunity to have that slow transition and a good basis to that early learning education before they enter formal schooling.” 

Further information about the service is available here. To access the original coverage of this story, see here.