PLANS have been unveiled for extensions to Tooleybuc Preschool to cater for expansion of free kinder for three-year-olds next year.
Preschool director Larissa Andrews and project developers Bronwyn Hogan and Stuart Patterson, of ESP Solutions Plus, this week briefed Member for Murray Helen Dalton on the almost $400,000 project, which included a new 25-place building.
Mrs Andrews said the preschool had 35 pupils, 20 in four-year-old kinder and 15 in three-year-old kinder.
The NSW Government was expanding free kinder for three-year-olds from six hours a week to 15 hours in 2023.
“We couldn’t do it with just one room – we don’t have the space,” Mrs Andrews said.
“The new building will allow us to provide 15 hours a week for both groups.”
Ms Hogan, who wrote the successful grant application, said the case for funding the project was compelling.
The preschool serviced a large area of NSW and Victoria and parents who were unable to secure a place locally faced a wait of 18 months or more to get into the nearest childcare centres and preschools, 50km away at Swan Hill.
“Most of the children utilising the Tooleybuc Preschool are from farming families where the round trip to Swan Hill for childcare and preschool services is near impossible,” she said.
“This will provide stability and result in positive social and emotional outcomes for children and families in Tooleybuc and surrounding communities.”
Member for Murray Helen Dalton said it was a wonderful example of forward-thinking communities pursuing what they needed for the future.
“I’m pretty keen for other communities to follow Tooleybuc’s lead and I’ll try and assist wherever I can,” she said.
“I suppose a lot of people wouldn’t understand the importance of childcare and preschool.
“Preschool education is absolutely essential for making sure kids are school ready. And people are being prevented from working because they don’t have access to affordable childcare. We need to break the deadlock and get those jobs filled.”
The new building will be funded by a grant from the NSW Government’s Start Strong capital works program and a $20,000 contribution from the preschool committee which raised funds during the past few years from raffles and selling tubs of cookie dough, tea towels and picture plates featuring children’s art work.
Mr Patterson said work was due to begin in mid-2023.
