The Andrews Labor Government is helping Wyndham kinders upgrade their facilities to create more kindergarten places ahead of the roll-out of funded universal Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

Member for Werribee Tim Pallas and Member for Tarneit Sarah Connolly today welcomed applications under the Building Blocks program, with grants available for projects that create additional kindergarten places for three and four-year-olds by building new or expanding existing infrastructure.

The program is part of a $1.18 billion packaged for education infrastructure projects announced last Monday, which will build projects across Victoria, create the jobs and kickstart Victoria’s economy.

Wyndham Council and not-for-profit organisations delivering funded kindergarten programs are encouraged to apply for a grant as part of the program.

Councils and non-profit organisations can apply for up to $1.5 million for a New Early Learning Facility, up to $600,000 for an upgrade or expansion, up to $1.5 million for a modular kindergarten facility, or up to $2 million for a new Integrated Children’s Centre.

Launched in March, Building Blocks streamlines all pre-exisiting kindergarten infrastructure grants into one overarching program and provides increased state funding contributions for early childhood projects.

This new funding will help early childhood providers undertake projects to improve their services, and assist them in increasing the capacity of services to help deliver extra places as we roll out our Three-YearOld Kinder reforms.

This builds on the $156.6 million over five years made available in the Victorian Budget 19/20 to support the early childhood sector deliver the Victorian Government’s Three-Year-Old Kinder reform.

Visit schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au/buildingblocks to apply.

Quote attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino 

“We’re delivering unprecedented investment in early childhood services so our children can get the most out of great local kindergartens as we roll-out universal funded Three-Year-Old Kinder.” 

Quote attributable to Member for Werribee Tim Pallas 

“I encourage early childhood services in Wyndham to take advantage of these grants to set up our local early child-hood services for the future.” 

Quotes attributable to Member for Tarneit Sarah Connolly 

“Early education is a crucial stage in a child’s development. That’s why it’s important that we get on with delivering much needed funding to our kindergartens across Victoria, including in Tarneit.”