Lil’ Tigers Early Learning joins REED centres in West Australian wheatbelt

Lil’ Tigers Early Learning Centre in the rural West Australian town of Dowerin has become the latest early childhood education and care (ECEC) centre to join the Regional Early Education and Development Inc (REED).

REED offers a new cluster model of management to provide ECEC services across the Wheatbelt, aiming to reduce the burden on local Committees and Shires to provide these vital community services. 

This latest addition follows on from Child Care Centres in Mukinbudin, Corrigin, Merredin, Brookton, Yilgarn, Wundowie, Bruce Rock, Narrogin. Dalwallinu, Cunderdin, Hyden and Quairading that have all joined the not-for-profit service in the past twenty months. 

A huge community effort led by volunteers in Dowerin led to the establishment of Dowerin Community Childcare Inc, who established Lil’ Tigers which commenced operation in the former CWA Hall at 10 Cottrell Street Dowerin in March 2014. 

In its current format, Lil’ Tigers is a 17 place centre that provides long day care three days a week as well as an after-school care service for children up to 12 years of age. 

Current Dowerin Community Childcare Inc treasurer and administrator, Emma Richards, said the merger with REED was a very exciting time for the committee, coming after “many years of hard work.”

“We are all looking forward to the staff being better supported and able to develop further skills to use in the centre to continue to provide a high level of education and care to our children” Ms Richards said.

The decision to merge with REED was made “much easier” she continued, during COVID-19, which highlighted “many issues” with the service. 

“One of the many benefits of moving to REED is financial stability of the Centre as well as our staff being offered a higher level of support and training. REED is in a much better position to source funding for the Centre and the community will still be able to fundraise to see the Centre benefit at a local level” Ms Richards said. 

The merger takes the number of REED Centres to 13.  REED is now providing 18 services in the Wheatbelt including long day care, home day care, occasional care, and after school care. For more information, please see here.