Premier John Brumby officially opened the new centre today with Children and Early Childhood Development Minister Maxine Morand and Western Bulldogs players Shane Thorne and Robert Murphy, and said the facility would provide places for more than 100 children.
“Our western suburbs are growing rapidly, which is why we are investing in services such as this redevelopment to make sure young families have access to the services they need,” Mr Brumby said.
“The City of Maribyrnong is growing and is expected to attract more young families, increasing the number of preschool aged children in suburbs including Footscray, Braybrook, Maidstone and Maribyrnong.
“The number of births in the Maribyrnong local government area have increased by more than 30 per cent in the last 10 years, with more than 1300 babies born in the area each year - that’s 300 more babies than in 2000.
“This centre, in the precinct of the redeveloped Whitten Oval, offers a ‘one-stop shop’ for families with young children in the area.
“The centre currently provides kindergarten, occasional and long day care, and will soon offer maternal and child health services, allied health and early intervention services, all in one convenient location for families.
“We are working in partnership with the Federal Government and the Western Bulldogs Football Club to support young Victorians and provide the best start to life for kids in the west.”
The redevelopment has been made possible with a $500,000 grant from Brumby Labor Government Children’s Capital, $1 million from the Federal Government and $600,000 from the Western Bulldogs Football Club and philanthropic donations.
Ms Morand said research showed the period from birth to eight years and particularly the first three years of life set the foundations for a child’s social, emotional and cognitive development.
“Investing in and supporting access to high quality early education centres such as this is vital to ensure young families get the services they need and that children get the best possible start in life,” Ms Morand said.
“The Brumby Labor Government is working to transform the delivery of children’s services by integrating State and local government activities.The Bulldogs Community Children’s Centre is an example of this transformation.”
The Government has committed more than $47 million towards the establishment of 98 integrated children’s centres which include kindergartens.
