New Building Blocks stream will prioritise inclusive kinder upgrades in Victoria

Making local kindergartens more accessible for all Victorian children is the focus of more than $3 million in Building Blocks Grants recently announced by Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt. 

Facility upgrades, specialist equipment and state-of-the-art technology will feature heavily in successful applications, the latest round of Building Blocks Inclusion Grants, and will support 242 kindergartens to upgrade their facilities or purchase equipment to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for children of all needs and abilities. 

“We want to make sure that all children can fully participate at their kinder, so it is crucial that we upgrade facilities and equip them with modern technology to create safe, inclusive and interactive learning environments,” Ms Stitt said. 

Upgrades include infrastructure in playgrounds to make kinder activities more accessible as well as moveable inclusive education equipment like mobility stools and sensory equipment to support learning programs. 

A further 569 kindergartens will also receive IT grants of up to $1,500 from the latest round of the Building Blocks Improvement Grants funding, sharing more than $796,000 in total for technology support. These IT grants will help pay for new equipment such as computers, iPads and interactive TV aids that can be used for administration or to help deliver learning programs. 

Building Blocks is a streamlined overarching funding scheme that supports early childhood providers with new and existing infrastructure and facilities for eligible three and four-year-old kindergarten services. 

To learn more about the Building Blocks Grants program, please see here.