Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Early childhood education

Daniela DE MARTINO (Monbulk) (19:13): (106) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep. The action I seek is that the minister join me in my electorate of Monbulk to visit some of our fabulous kindergartens, which are providing our youngest Victorians the very best start to their education.

I would like to acknowledge all the hardworking early childhood educators and staff and thank them for the amazing and important work they do in providing quality care and education for our youngest people. Ninety per cent of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of five, making early childhood education absolutely vital. The Andrews Labor government initiatives, such as free kinder for three- and four-year-olds, relieve cost-of-living pressures on families. It is a winner. Accessing a kindergarten close to home and managing the double drop-off will be relieved now for parents as we establish 50 new government-owned and affordable early learning centres. The transitioning of four-year-old kinder to a 30-hour-a-week pre-prep program will set our children up for the best start in their best lives.

The kinder kit initiative, providing every Victorian child starting three-year-old kinder with a beautiful kit of books, toys and educational resources, mostly locally made and designed to support families to learn through play at home, is fabulous. All children deserve the best start to life, which is why I am proud to be part of a government that sees investment in early childhood education as an investment in the future of Victoria and Victorians. Our children deserve nothing less. I look forward to the minister’s visit.