Minister Grants $350,000 to Melbourne Kindergarten

On Friday, the Australian Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, Wendy Lovell, and Member Parliament for Bentleigh Elizabeth Miller joined families and Jewish community leaders at Bentleigh East’s Beis Menachem Community Centre to announce a $515,000 upgrade to the co-located Gan Gabi and Rivki Early Learning Centre.

Ms. Miller said the grant will enable the replacement of existing portable buildings with a state-of-the-art four-room facility, allowing the centre to lift its capacity from 113 to 144 places and offer a kindergarten program with 72 places for the very first time.

“Today’s announcement is great news for Jewish families living in Bentleigh East,” Ms. Lovell said.

“It marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for early childhood education at this centre, allowing more Jewish families to access high-quality, culturally sensitive kindergarten and day care programs close to home.”

Ms. Lovell said the Napthine Government was proud to meet a real community need in Bentleigh East, which is one of the fastest growing areas for young Jewish families in the Victoria.

“The Napthine Government is absolutely committed to supporting families of all backgrounds to access the services they need to give their children a great start in life.”

The Napthine Government committed $350,000 towards the upgrade, adding to $165,000 in contributions from charitable trusts and local fundraising efforts.

“This project is testament to what the state government can achieve when we work hand in hand with local communities,” Ms. Lovell said.

“Investing in early years infrastructure is part of the government’s plan to make Victoria a world leader in children’s learning and development.”

“Victoria already leads the nation in early childhood education and care, and by improving facilities and increasing access to services, we are making Victoria an even better place for families to raise their children,” Ms Lovell said.