Children with additional needs given extra boost from Victorian Government

The Victorian Government will provide extra support and equipment for children with additional needs in kindergarten services. 

Minister for Early Childhood and Pre Prep Ingrid Stitt recently announced the funding which will help make early learning more accessible, easier and more fun with a new approach to inclusion in kindergartens, through strength-based learning plans, new needs assessments and education approaches which more closely align with the landmark Disability Inclusion reforms for schools. 

Children with additional needs will be further supported to learn alongside their peers with specialised equipment, including standing frames and hoists continuing to be available at no cost to kindergartens, under an extension of the successful Kindergarten Inclusion Support Specialised Equipment program. The $18.1 million package will also streamline applications and assessments under the Kindergarten Inclusion Support program, making it easier for kinders to hire additional staff and train existing educators in line with demand. 

The investment also boosts the number of Pre-School Field Officers (PSFO), who are highly experienced professionals that work with early childhood teaching teams. The PSFOs will be placed in high-growth areas of the state to provide inclusive programs for children with additional needs to learn, contribute and grow at kinder. 

This commitment builds on the Labor Government’s historic investment in its Best Start, Best Life reforms, which give children and families greater access to kinder.