Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Ministers statements: early childhood education and care

Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:09): I rise to update the house on how the Allan Labor government is supporting Victorian families with continued investment in our kinders. In last week’s state budget the Allan government delivered $15 million for the Building Blocks improvement and inclusion grant streams, because we know that every child deserves to attend a kinder that has the facilities and equipment they need to grow, learn and play. This funding is designed for projects that upgrade, refurbish and renovate kinders so that our littlest Victorians can learn in inclusive and modern classrooms – first-class facilities. Since 2020 the Building Blocks improvement and inclusion grant program has delivered record investment in our state’s kinders. To date, our government has invested $81.8 million into the improvement stream, supporting 433 infrastructure projects and 4027 information technology projects. In addition, our government has delivered $39.2 million for the inclusion stream funding for 204 infrastructure projects, including playgrounds, and 1087 equipment projects. It is this side of the house that is focused on what matters. While those opposite want to charge families for free kinder, it is this side of the house that invests in Victorian children and education.

Last week I visited site works for the nearly completed Keysborough South Community Hub with the member for Mordialloc Tim Richardson. The new integrated children’s centre has received $4 million from this government, including $3 million from a Building Blocks capacity grant. Families do not work in silos and neither should government. This fabulous integrated children’s centre will provide four new kinder rooms and 221 new kinder places. It will also have a playgroup, maternal and child health services, parenting support rooms, allied health services, a library and a cafe. This centre is a great example of bringing together services to help families, and I cannot wait to see the hub when it is complete and ready to welcome kids for day one, term one, next year.

It is this Labor government who has invested $2.7 billion to build and expand hundreds of kinders across the state – more than in any other state in the country – and it will continue to invest to give – (Time expired)