General News
23 September, 2024
Murtoa eases childcare shortage with new centre, under construction
Kinder places open up at Murtoa, new centre under construction
A new early learning and childcare centre at Murtoa College in the Shire of Yarriambiack is under construction and will, once completed, provide up to 57 placements for children from birth to six years old.
The Victorian Government-owned centre will be run by Early Learning Victoria.
The centre will provide long day care, Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, and Pre-Prep programs.
It will also include a Maternal and Child Health consulting room for local families and a carpark.
Building the centre at the college will help some parents avoid the double drop-off, ease travel, and save time for working parents. It will also ensure a smooth transition for young students as they move from one level of care to another.
It will make childcare and early learning accessible and convenient for working parents and carers and make the transition to school more accessible for some children.
This centre is one of 50 early learning and childcare centres that will receive approximately $14 billion as part of the Victorian Government's Best StartBest Life reform.
The daily fee for long-day care, funded by the New Early Learning Facility, is $139. Families may be eligible for government fee assistance, including the Child Care Subsidy and Free Kinder.
The kindergarten centre will provide kindergarten for 3- and 4-year-olds, who will then transition to Pre-Prep. It will provide more funded hours of kindergarten each week (between 16 and 30 hours).
Murtoa will be one of the first places in the state to introduce Pre-Prep from 2025.
This new program will give 4-year-old children greater opportunities to socialise and learn through play.
Parents will have a flexible 11-hour day for drop off and pick up.
The kindergarten hours are as follows: three-year-old Kindergarten: 8:45am-3:15pm, Monday, Tuesday, and alternate Wednesdays; Four-Year-Old Kindergarten: 8:45am-3:15pm, Monday to Thursday.
The centre is open for enrolments through the Yarriambiack Shire office and website.
A childcare shortage has been a significant issue in the region, with parents unable to remain or take up positions due to the lack of and the long waiting list for childcare.