Stitt visits Kurmboon Child and Family Centre to announce more Building Blocks funding

Victoria’s Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep Ingrid Stitt visited Kurmboon Child and Family Centre in Officer last week to announce a $20.5 million investment under the Building Blocks program for three new kindergarten projects in growing communities across the state.

More than 300 additional kindergarten places will be created as a result of the works, which will include building new facilities and expanding existing sites. 

Thewlis Integrated Child and Family Centre (interim name) in Pakenham will receive $9 million to build an integrated children’s centre, which will include a four-room kindergarten and three consulting rooms. Built in partnership with Cardinia Shire Council, the facility will provide space for maternal and child health services, playgroups and parenting programs as well as allied health services and wellbeing programs. The new centre will be located next to Pakenham North West Primary School (interim name) when it opens in 2025 and will provide up to 132 kindergarten places for three- and four-year-olds. 

A further 231 kindergarten places will be provided from the partnership in the local government areas of Greater Bendigo and Mildura through a combined $11.5 million investment in new and upgraded facilities. 

Marong Kindergarten, west of Bendigo, will receive $5.5 million to expand the existing service by up to 99 places by creating three additional kindergarten rooms and space for community services and family engagement. 

Mildura Rural City Council will receive $6 million to create 132 places at Red Cliffs Kindergarten by transforming it into an Integrated Children’s Centre with kindergarten rooms, consultation rooms, toy library facilities and multiuse spaces. 

For more information about the Building Blocks funding stream, please see here.