Building up early learning centres

THE Lightning Reef YMCA Early Learning Centre will receive $104,478 as part of the State Government’s $28 million Building Blocks Program.

The grant will allow staff to set up five new shade zones, an indigenous plant garden and a yarning circle.

Yarning circles are seen as somewhere people can talk, share and educate each other, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have used them for thousands of years.

Other kindergartens in the region have also been allocated funds, including Shine Bright Marong Kindergarten for various improvement works.

The latest round of grants will see more than 1248 kindergartens across Victoria share in $28 million to upgrade facilities and buy equipment.

“Every child deserves a safe and inviting learning environment, that’s why the Allan Labor Government continues to invest in local kindergartens,” said Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards.

“I look forward to seeing these projects across Bendigo West get started.”

Since the State Government launched the Building Blocks Program in 2020, more than $200 million has been spent to build new childhood services across Victoria and upgrade existing ones.

The program comes under the umbrella of the State’s $14 billion Best Start, Best Life reforms, which are claimed to be “the biggest changes to Victoria’s early childhood education sector in a generation.”

The reforms include free kinder for Victorian three and four year-old children at participating services, plus increased investment to attract, upskill and retain early childhood teachers.