Horsham mayor gives clarity to 90 additional LDC places proposal

Horsham Rural City Council Mayor Robyn Gulline has given more clarity about the plan put forward to address shortages of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the town, saying more than 90 new long day care (LDC) places will be available in Horsham by the end of the year.

 

Rooms at Kalkee Road Children’s and Community Hub will become available for LDC when current tenant Emerge Early Learning Services shifts its kindergarten program to a new Horsham North facility.

 

“Emerge Early Learning Services has secured funding for a new two-room kindergarten to be located at the Rasmussen Road school site. This means there will be an opportunity for Council to host a much needed long day care provider at the Hub,” the Mayor explained.

 

“The new long day care program at the Hub should be operational by 2024 at the latest,” she added, noting that the move should alleviate some of the pressures felt by the families of the 215 individual children on the waiting lists of Horsham’s four LDC centres.

 

“The inability to return to work or to move to Horsham to take up skilled positions disadvantage our whole community, putting businesses and services under further pressure to find suitable staff,” Ms Gulline explained. 

 

“By reverting Kalkee Road Children’s and Community Hub to the original design and use, which was for LDC and in venue kindergarten, an additional 93 new LDC places can be made available.”

 

“That’s very good news for not only young families but also many Wimmera businesses,” the Mayor said. 

 

Council will soon invite expressions of interest from providers to run the new LDC and all-day kindergarten program. Maternal and Child Health Services and Supported Playgroup will continue to operate from the Hub.