Construction underway for Maiden Gully Early Years Hub

Construction has begun on a new $7.1 million early childhood education and care (ECEC) facility which aims to provide a ‘wraparound service’ for families with young children in Victoria’s Maiden Gully area, near the regional city of Bendigo. 

The Maiden Gully Early Years Hub, local news source The Bendigo Advertiser said, will include a kindergarten, childcare for children aged birth to five years old, allied health services and medical practitioners, with an enrolment capacity of 152 children.

Shine Bright EYM, a not-for-profit community-based organisation which manages 28 kindergartens across Central and Northern Victoria will be managing the facility, with CEO for the Group, Suzi Sordan, saying the wraparound model was particularly important given the extensive body of research showing that early intervention benefits children with additional needs. 

As well as providing care for children, the facility will give Shine Bright staff the opportunity to access professional development and training, with the Group exploring options to involve Universities and TAFE providers in the local area, the Bendigo Advertiser reported. 

The collaborative service model is a first for Shine Bright, and one which Ms Sordan believes to be “probably unique in Victoria”.

It is anticipated construction of the new facility will be completed in January 2021, with enrolments to open in March 2020. 

Enrolments for the new centre will open in March.

To read the original coverage of this story, as produced by Natalie Croxon for the Bendigo Advertiser, please see here.