Design work will begin next month on a new early learning centre destined to be built alongside Footscray City Primary School.
Early Childhood Education Minister Jenny Mikakos visited the Hyde Street site last Wednesday to outline the plans for a “one-stop-shop” that will bring together kindergarten, maternal child and health services and other family services as part of the Footscray Learning Precinct.
The $15 million precinct will re-shape education in the area by also providing high schooling across three campuses – a senior campus at Footscray City College and two co-ed campuses, at Gilmore College and a new building near Victoria University’s Footscray Nicholson campus.
The new early learning centre will be built in partnership with Maribyrnong council.
Footscray City Primary School principal Jessie Hand said the new centre created a great opportunity for early childhood and primary school teachers to work together.
“The co-location of speech therapists, occupational therapists, then the maternal child and health aspects, are a very exciting and unique opportunity,” she said.
Ms Mikakos said the investment would help give families flexible, accessible and affordable kindergarten and childcare services.
Maribyrnong community services director Clem Gillings said the council welcomed the funding announcement.
“We are working closely with the state government to plan and design the integrated early learning centre, which will ultimately be managed by a third party provider,” she said.
