The Andrews Labor Government is helping local kindergartens to upgrade and improve their centres, giving every Victorian child the best start to life.

State Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos has announced Bentleigh Early Child Education Cooperative and Friendship Square Child Care and Kindergarten Cooperative have joined the ranks of over 100 other Early Childhood services to benefit from the Building Blocks Improvement grant program.

Bentleigh ECEC will receive $500,000 to upgrade play areas, building on a grant previously announced to increase capacity at the centre.

Friendship Square will receive $176,751 to transform the outdoor play areas to enhance play-based engagement in a rich natural setting.

It is one of 104 services set to share in $17.7 million in funding to renovate and refurbish their centres.

Building Blocks Improvement grants of up to $500,000 are available towards an early learning facility upgrade or improvement project, providing services with funding to help them renovate and refurbish their centres.

The Labor Government is delivering an ambitious overhaul of early childhood education and care, with a massive $9 billion investment over the next decade to save families money and support women to return to the workforce.

Three-Year-Old Kinder is already rolling out across the state, expanding universal access to 15 hours of government-funded kinder every week – and from next year, it will be free.

Four-Year-Old Kinder will also be free, providing much-needed relief for family budgets and giving more women a choice to return to the workforce.

With 90 per cent of a child’s brain developing before the age of five, early education has a profound effect on the way children develop.

In addition to these nation-leading reforms, and to help address the current shortage of available childcare places, the Labor Government will establish 50 government-operated and affordable childcare centres in areas that need them most.

The Labor Government is also ensuring that every new Victorian primary school set to open from 2021 will have a kindergarten on-site or next door, to avoided the dreaded double drop-off, reducing the burden on parents and helping build the Education State.

Visit www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au/buildingblocks to apply.

Quote attributable to Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos

“These grants will ensure Bentleigh ECEC and Friendship Square have the funding they need to improve their facilities and  technology, to deliver the best educational outcomes for our young learners.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt

“We’re delivering unprecedented investment in early childhood services so our children can get the most out of great local kindergartens.”

 “These grants will help local councils and early childhood services across Victoria to improve their kindergartens and help set them up for the future.”