Construction on the bigger and better North Cheltenham Preschool is now underway.

Last year, Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos announced a $981,792 Building Blocks capacity building stream grant for Kingston Council to increase kindergarten places at the preschool.

Mr Staikos joined Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Katie Hall MP, Mayor Hadi Saab and Councillor Jenna Davey-Burns to turn the first sod on the project.

The redevelopment of the North Cheltenham Preschool will provide 66 licensed places (an increase of 33) and result in a new architecturally designed contemporary facility that includes the following elements:

• two indoor learning spaces to increase the capacity of the preschool
• flexible outdoor learning spaces
• flexible meeting room
• foyer, kitchen, storage, children’s bathroom, staff amenities.

This is part of the Victorian Labor Government’s major reforms to kindergarten, which include free kinder for all three and four year old children