A first-class education begins well before school starts and youngsters in Terang are getting the best chance of success thanks to the town’s new children’s centre.
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The $1.94-million combined children’s centre was officially unveiled on Thursday.
Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney and Corangamite Shire mayor Jo Beard opened the state-of-the-art centre in front of a large crowd of parents, children, community members and council staff.
In operation since February, the centre offers kinder rooms, kitchen, staff areas and a large outdoor play area. It will also be home to the town’s maternal and child health service and provide meeting spaces for other child and youth services.
The centre was heavily driven by the community and the kindergarten committee, which raised $14,000 for its construction.
Corangamite Shire contributed $1.15 million to the Dow Street centre and the state government provided $776,000 under the previous Napthine government.
Cr Beard said the centre would nurture the town’s children from birth in a unique setting not found elsewhere.
“We unfortunately have low attainment rates for year 12 and its equivalent here in the Great South Coast… one of the critical elements of a child’s health and well-being and their ability to reach their full potential in life is adequate childhood services,” she said.
“The funding support from the Victorian government, the Corangamite Shire and the Terang Kindergarten committee has now helped the children and their families in this district to have access to first-class services… as they deserve.”
Terang kinder committee member Monique Magilton said the community was proud of what it had achieved.
“The fact that this facility is now home, not only to the kindergarten but to the playgroup and maternal child health means that it can now be not only a fun place for our children but a meeting place for all families in the community,” she said.
“I know from first-hand feedback from my son and the other children and families that this is certainly a place they love coming to.”
The Children’s Centre provides two four-year-old kindergarten sessions with 44 children currently attending a funded program, maternal and child health services, playgroup, and parent groups. There are plans to provide a three-year-old kindergarten program, family support services, a community space and space for visiting early years services and professionals.