The Victorian Government has announced more than $50 million in new Building Blocks Partnerships to deliver almost 1,500 Free Kinder places and create 25 new, expanded or upgraded facilities in areas of high demand.

Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt and Member for Southern Metropolitan Region Nina Taylor visited Eildon Road Kindergarten to make the announcement.

One of the partnerships is with the City of Port Phillip, where the State Government worked with families at three local kindergarten services, investing $12.6 million into a partnership with the local council to provide 271 kinder places, upgrade the three centres, and deliver three additional major kindergarten projects across the municipality.

Eildon Road Childcare and Kindergarten is one of the services that will benefit from the partnership with the City of Port Phillip, along with The Avenue Children’s Centre and Kindergarten, and Elwood Children’s Centre.

These newest Building Block Partnerships bring the total number to nine, after the first agreement was signed with Wyndham City Council in 2021, creating more than 3,600 kinder places in Melbourne’s growing west.

The other new Building Block Partnerships include:

• The City of Whittlesea partnership ($9.2 million), which commits to the construction of two new early-learning centres, creating more than 310 kinder places;
• The Mitchell Shire partnership ($7.4 million), which will provide more than 210 free kinder places for local families;
• The Monash City partnership ($13.3 million), which will deliver six major infrastructure projects and provide over 360 free kinder places; and, 
• The Brimbank City Council partnership ($9.3 million) to develop four early-learning centres and provide more than 250 free kinder places in the municipality.

“This latest round of partnerships not only secure the future of kindergartens in the City of Port Phillip, but also bring to life exciting plans for kindergartens across the state, ensuring we can provide better access and more places to our youngest learners and set them up for life,” said Member for Southern Metropolitan Region Nina Taylor.