Getting ready for the best start to school

The Andrews Labor Government is making sure all children in Narre Warren South attending a funded kindergarten program in 2022 have the right support in place to help them transition from early childhood education to the start of their formal school life.

Member for Narre Warren South Gary Maas MP, announced that Narre Warren South will benefit from over $830,000 in School Readiness Funding for new programs, supports and extra staffing across 28 kindergartens ─ helping them provide world-class early education and give children the best start in life.

This funding is among the $53.9 million available in 2022 for more than 2,500 Victorian funded kindergarten services from the State Government’s $160 million School Readiness Funding initiative.

The Australian first initiative addresses gaps in educational disadvantage by building the capacity of services, educators and families to support children's learning and development. The program focuses on growing communication, social and emotional wellbeing skills, as well as improving access and inclusion.

Services will receive a funding allocation based on the level of need from children in their programs, with support available to all three- and four-year-old children in funded kinder programs including sessional and long day care.

The support allows kindergarten services to select the package of resources and programs that best reflects the needs of their children and staff – which can include programs targeting speech, language and literacy, support for culturally and linguistically diverse children and families and tools for parents to support their child's development.

Services can also use funding to tap into the expertise of speech and occupational therapists, language and literacy professionals and child psychologists – who can boost the capability of both parents and teachers.

School Readiness Funding is part of the Victorian kindergarten funding model to help improve learning and development outcomes – with more than 4,200 services receiving funding, helping over 129,000 children.

Making Victoria the Education State starts with the early years, and ensuring no child is disadvantaged as they start their education. The Andrews Labor Government is leading the nation in early childhood education, investing almost $5 billion this decade to give three-year-old children access to an additional year of funded kindergarten programs.

From 2022, three-year-old children across the state will have access to at least five hours of kindergarten. Services will then scale up their hours to reach the full 15-hour program by 2029.

 

Quotes attributable to State Member for Narre Warren South Gary Maas MP

The schools readiness package is an Australian first initiative which aims to improve in-school support for emotional and social wellbeing skills and also supports extra staff where needed.”

“As we continue to build the education state we will keep delivering support and options for students to ensure they all have the best possible education.”

“Helping our kindergartens through therapists, language professionals, skills development and extra staff is a boost for our early childhood sector and all the families that access these services.”

These local investments will help so many young families in Narre Warren South and I’m proud to be a part of a government which looks after the needs of all kids.”

 

Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt

“We are ensuring kindergarten services have the resources they need to deliver high-quality programs that support all our children so that they can fully participate and get the most out of their early learning years.”

“This needs-based funding will improve outcomes in communication, social and emotional wellbeing, access and participation so that all our children are on track to have the best start to school and are on par with their peers.”

19 October 2021