In an Australian first, the Victorian Government has committed to implement Three-Year-Old Kindergarten for all children over a 10-year roll-out with a total investment of almost $5 billion, including $1.68 billion to support the infrastructure expansion required for the reform.
This reform will add another year of universal funded kindergarten so that by 2029 all children in Victoria will have access to two years of play-based learning through a funded kindergarten program.
Together with the State Government we have developed a Kindergarten Infrastructure Service Plan (KISP) for the City of Greater Geelong that outlines estimates of future kindergarten supply of and demand for Three and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten places against existing enrolment capacity.
This information will assist us Not-for-profit and for-profit providers to inform their plans to expand kindergarten programs establish new services or invest in new or extended facilities.
The KISP is available from the Department of Educations website and will be used to assess grant applications.
The City of Greater Geelong is a wonderful place to bring up children and we are committed to continually improving on our liveability and the support offered to all families across the municipality.
Geelong has a strong participation rate of children attending kindergarten with 96% percent of children enrolled in a kindergarten program higher than the Victorian average of 92%. The number of four-year old kindergarten enrolments in a long day care or integrated children’s service setting has been steadily increasing over the last ten plus years.
While we provide a range of infrastructure that supports services for children and families across Greater Geelong early childhood services are provided by a mix of public private and not-for-profit providers. Only 7% of the total early years’ service delivery (across all early years’ services) is delivered by the City of Greater Geelong. We provide 57% of the buildings that deliver kindergarten programs and 16% for long day care. Council owned kindergarten buildings are leased to Early Years Managers and community groups who deliver the kindergarten program.
Our Clever & Creative Vision together with the Municipal Public Health Plan 2018-2021 Social Infrastructure Plan 2020 Municipal Early Years Plan 2018-2022 and Social Equity Principles all support investment and delivery of early years infrastructure and services to ensure a thriving community. It is important that there is a mix of provision and choice when selecting early years services and planning should be responsive to changing needs while also being socially financially culturally and environmentally sustainable.
We recognise the leadership advocacy and partnership role we play within the community and early childhood industry to promote the welfare and education of children and to provide high quality services that are accessible and equitable to all families; including people encountering economic and social disadvantage.
The KISP will help us work better together to understand infrastructure capacity service delivery operation models and community needs developing a joint response plan that is fair and equitable adaptive and responsive.