Thursday, 20 June 2024

Ministers statements: kindergarten funding

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:26): I rise to update the house on the Allan Labor government’s investments into updating and refurbishing Victoria’s kinders through the Building Blocks improvement and inclusion grants. Last week I visited Baxter kindergarten to announce $28 million of funding in the Building Blocks grants alongside the member for Hastings from the other place. This funding will support more than 1248 kinders across Victoria to upgrade their facilities and buy equipment. Over 1000 kinders, just like Baxter, will receive a share of $2 million for IT equipment; 123 of these kindergartens will share in over $24.6 million to upgrade buildings and outdoor areas, including grants of up to $750,000 for larger projects and $150,000 for smaller ones. A further $1.3 million will be distributed through the inclusion stream to eight projects to create kinder buildings and playgrounds that are more inclusive environments for children of all needs and abilities.

Early learning is fundamental, and that is why we are proud to be a Labor government which continues to invest in not just kinders but the future of education in this state. It is only this side of this house that invests in such early childhood education. These grants are just one part of the Allan Labor government’s larger commitment to securing Victoria’s spot as the nation leader in education. Since coming to government we have invested over $8 billion in early childhood education and care, including $3.6 billion for early childhood infrastructure. This funding is delivering free kinder, pre-prep and three-year-old kinder at 50 early learning and childcare centres across the state. These are all reforms that the Labor government is delivering. It is this side of the house that launched Building Blocks in 2020, and since its launch we have provided over $200 million to improve kinders across our state, reaffirming the Allan Labor government’s commitment to education as we strive to make early learning bigger, better and more affordable than ever. I cannot wait to see how these facilities are able to utilise these grants to support the youngest members of our communities.