General News
22 November, 2024
Avoca set for new kindergarten
In exciting news for families in the Avoca community, the planned government-owned childcare centre at the local primary school has been announced to open in 2027.
Made official last month, the new centre is part of the Victorian Government’s Best Start, Best Life reforms with the Pyrenees Shire currently slated to transition to the Pre-Prep program for four-year-old children in 2026.
Avoca was one of three local towns selected to receive one of the 50 new government facilities as part of the reforms announced in June 2022, with a site on Canterbury Street in Clunes earmarked to open in 2026 and one in Maryborough where a location and timeline have yet to be declared.
The close proximity between the childcare and primary school facilities will help ease local children’s transition from kindergarten to school according to Avoca Primary School principal Jacinta Dellavedova.
“The connection for the whole community in and around the centre being so close would be a fantastic initiative and partnership,” she said.
“Those kinder students will be coming to our school knowing where the school is and what the building looks like because they will be very close.
“The possibilities are endless in terms of the connections we can create — if we have a special incursion, we can offer that to the kindergarten as well to create shared experiences.
“Looking at it from the community pers-pective, it will be one drop off for families being next door which would be a bit easier.”
Member for Ripon Martha Haylett said the new childcare facility will support local families in allowing their kids to put their best foot forward.
“Early years education is one of the most important ways we can set our little ones up for success. The new centre in Avoca will give more local families this option close to home,” she said.
“I have spoken to so many families who have needed childcare options in Avoca, including the fantastic local primary school principal.
“I fought hard for this service that will benefit our community for years to come. It is what our local kids and families deserve.”
Avoca resident and mother of three Casey Walkley said the new site could improve flexibility for local families.
“It will be good for the parents that work a lot of hours and need longer hours of daycare,” she said.
“I’ve been pretty lucky with childcare down here but there have been a few [families] that have had to go to Maryborough because of those longer hours.
“I have questions about how they’ll be able to operate this new kindergarten and if there’ll be enough staff or kids, they struggle to staff the kinder here at the moment so we’ll see.”