Kidi Kingdom Child Care Centre welcomes Minister for funding announcement

Kidi Kingdom Child Care Centre on Queensland’s Gold Coast welcomed Minister for Education Grace Grace last Friday as she spoke about Free Kindy and other education focused initiatives for the Gold Coast.

Free Kindy will support more than 5,700 extra Gold Coast families to access free kindergarten care from 2024, with families set to save up to $4,600 a year. Ms Grace visited Kidi Kingdom in Pimpama to hear how families will benefit from the policy, which also includes additional funding for staff attraction and retention, extra investment for kindy kids with disability, and an expansion of the successful Kindy Uplift program.

While on the Gold Coast, the Minister announced a $12.2 million expansion to the hall at Pimpama State Secondary college, one of 18 halls in this year’s budget.

This will join the halls already under construction at Miami State High, Nerang State High, and Palmbeach Currumbin State High.

More than $65 million will also be invested for new classrooms at Broadbeach State School, Coomera State Special School, and Miami State School. Schools across the Gold Coast will also benefit from significant infrastructure investment, with $90 million in 2023/24 alone to maintain, improve, and upgrade schools right across the region.

“This record education budget will deliver real cost of living relief for Gold Coast families, with free kindy for all from 2024,” Ms Grace said.

“Our ambitious infrastructure investment on the Gold Coast continues with more classrooms and halls because every student and all school staff deserve to learn and work in outstanding facilities.”

Kidi Kingdom Child Care Centre Pimpama Centre Manager Jessica Hines welcomed the Free Kindy announcement saying it will help families facing cost-of-living challenges, and will help remove the cost barrier for parents to enrol their children into an approved kindergarten program.

“This will ensure Queensland children are well prepared before they start their journey into primary school,” she said.