Kinder demand booms

A $650,000 extension to the Phillip Island Early Learning Centre has this month finished construction, ahead of the roll out of funded three-year-old kinder next year.

PIELC coordinator Karen Treppo said the building received a state government grant and included water tanks, a sensory bush tucker garden and could hold up to 38 children, larger than current rooms that hold 25.

She said while the centre already provided 3.5 hours of three-year-old kindergarten per child per week, the expansion was needed because in 2022 that would be increased to five hours of state government-funded kinder.

“By 2029 we have to increase that to 15 hours, but with the expansion we hope to have 15 hours by 2023,” Karen said.

The extension is the second in the PIELC’s history, which was first opened in 2012 and received a new portable for four and five-year-olds in 2020.

“Ever since we opened we have had huge demand and always had a wait list. We opened with 106 children per day and next year we’ll have 170 per day but potentially a total of 300 in a week because of our varied programs,” she said.

“We’ve definitely had more of an increase since Covid and people moving to the area.”

Karen said the new extension would officially be opened to children in 2022.

As part of the state government changes to pre-school and kindergarten, Karen said the centre no longer manages enrolments, which have instead gone to a central enrolment system run by the Bass Coast Shire.

“Parents can request their preferred kindergarten and which sessions. It ensures each child will get kinder.”