By Goya Dmytryshchak
The first tours and drop-in information sessions are being held at the $7.7 million Altona Early Years Hub opening next year.
The state government has contributed $1.6 million to the Hobsons Bay council-owned centre which is still under construction on the Grieve Parade campus of Altona P-9 College.
For teacher at the school Kate Neville, who has a two-year-old daughter Grace and is pregnant with her second child due in October, the new hub has come at a perfect time.
Ms Neville is moving from Port Melbourne to Williamstown so she immediately placed Grace and “baby Neville” on the waiting list.
“Williamstown, that sort of area, has a massive waiting list so when we found out that they were going to have an early years hub, it just worked perfectly for me and a few of our colleagues that were in the same situation,” Ms Neville said.
“The good thing about Grace coming to school with me is that I can spend a little bit longer at the school working whereas before I would have to leave directly after meetings.”
The hub will have 76 long day care and 99 kindergarten places, maternal and child health services, health consulting rooms and multi-purpose community spaces.
The council and centre manager Early Childhood Management Services are inviting families to a drop-in information session on Thursday, August 2, any time between 4pm and 6pm, in the junior building at the college.
There will be 45-minute tours on Monday, August 6 between 10am and 3pm.
Bookings are required for a tour by contacting the council’s early years team on 99321000 or earlyyearsinbox@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au.
Details: www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/AltonaEarlyYearsHub
