EDITHVALE Family and Children’s Centre was opened last week by Families and Children Minister Jenny Mikakos, Kingston mayor Cr Geoff Gledhill and Mordialloc Labor MP Tim Richardson.
The $6.5 million centre – close to the Edithvale Recreational Reserve’s junior sporting facilities – aims to create a family and children-focused service precinct.
Families will receive 110 four-year-old kindergarten places, 110 three-year-old kindergarten places, maternal and child health service, early childhood intervention services and long-day care.
The project was built to ensure local children’s services had the space and flexibility they needed to deliver 15 hours of kindergarten a week, as well as other early years’ programs.
The state government is calling on the federal government to provide ongoing funding for 15 hours of kindergarten weekly, which it says will “end the uncertainty affecting kindergartens and communities across the state”.
Ms Mikakos the “fantastic new centre” would give hundreds of Edithvale families access to quality children’s services close to home.
“Fifteen hours of kindergarten makes a real difference to how children develop and grow, and to how they fare at school,” she said.
“I urge the Abbott Government to provide funding certainty to Victorian families, and ensure our kids can continue to access 15 hours of kindergarten beyond this year.”
Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson said Mordialloc families “really value their early childhood services and I’m pleased to be here at the opening of the terrific new Family and Children’s Centre in Edithvale”.
Applications for kindergarten places in Kingston for next year are now open.
Kingston Council offers one central enrolment point which covers 26 local kindergartens and ensures a fair allocation process based on a series of set criteria.
Parents can nominate their top three preferred kindergartens. Last year 97 per cent of families received a place at their first choice kindergarten.
Applications for next year’s first round allocation are open now and will be accepted until 30 June, with all applications included, regardless of the date they are received.
To be eligible for funded four-year-old kindergarten, children must turn four by 30 April in the year they start kindergarten.
Places are prioritised, based on a set of criteria, including Kingston families who live within two kilometres of the kinder, Kingston families with a prior connection to the kindergarten and residents of Kingston.
To find out which kindergartens are within a two kilometre radius of home see kingston.vic.gov.au/nearme
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 6 May 2015
