Highton kinder’s plan to expand

St Luke’s Highton Kindergarten is set for an upgrade to accommodate its growing cohort of three and four-year-old children.

The State Government has announced $289,000 for the Geelong kinder to help expand and refurbish existing facilities.

The project includes creating a new and safer entry point, refurbishment of bathrooms and adult toilet and kitchen, and an extension of the Uniting Church kinder’s playroom.

The funding is part of the latest round of a $52.3-million investment to improve kindergarten facilities across Victoria, targeting the state’s fastest-growing areas.

South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman said the funding was a further boost to region’s early childhood education sector.

“Every child in South Barwon deserves access to the best kinder, so they can get the best start to their education journey – and that’s exactly what we’re delivering with the St Luke’s Highton Upgrade,” he said.

Early Childhood Minister Ingrid Stitt said the infrastructure upgrades formed part of the State Government’s $5-billion plan to rollout 15 hours of three-year-old kinder across the state by the end of the decade.

“We want every Victorian child to have access to fantastic early years education, close to home – because we know how vital it is in setting our kids up for the rest of their lives,” she said.