The Andrews Labor Government has announced the successful recipients of $10.2 million in Building Blocks grant funding to assist in infrastructure and upgrades, equipment and inclusion initiatives. Our very own Apollo Parkways Preschool and Panorama Heights Preschool were among those successful recipients

Three recipients will share in more than $8 million under the Capacity stream, to help build new integrated kindergarten facilities (with maternal and child health and family services) and redevelop existing spaces.

A further 16 recipients have collectively been awarded $1.4 million under the Improvement stream, with projects including outdoor play and shade areas, Indigenous and sensory gardens, solar panel installation and car parks.

Panorama Heights Preschool in Montmorency was among these 16, receiving $50,000 to go towards improving play equipment that will foster and support children’s leaning and development through improving gross motor skills/spatial awareness, building risk awareness, grit and determination, teamwork, and expanding imaginative play opportunities.

Six recipients will share more than $842,000 under the Inclusion stream to boost safety and inclusion in learning environments and amenities.

Apollo Parkways Preschool in Greensborough received $136,000 from the Inclusion stream. This will be used to improve the bathroom facilities allowing for a more comfortable and accommodating experience for the children.

Building Blocks helps improve kindergarten infrastructure in Victoria and is essential in the successful statewide roll-out of the Labor Government’s Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, which is a $5 billion Australian-first scheme to deliver 15 hours of funded three-year-old kindergarten programs to children by 2029.

As part of the roll-out, the Government is upgrading infrastructure through a $1.68 billion co-investment with the early childhood sector to build and expand kindergarten facilities across the state.

The Building Blocks Planning stream, which is open until 20 March, will fund planning and pre-construction work on kindergarten projects that support Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.

To find out more about the Building Blocks Grants visit schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au.