Kinders share in tech upgrade boost

The Victorian Government is helping children in Macedon get the best start to life by supporting local kindergartens with access to state-of-the-art technology to help deliver their funded kinder programs.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas today announced a $17,275 of Building Blocks Improvement Grants for twelve kinders in Macedon to buy new IT equipment to support their funded kinder programs.

Woodend Kindergarten – iPad and accessories Goodstart Early Learning New Gisborne – Dell Latitude 5420 14.0″ Laptop, Dell Pro Slim Backpack Goodstart Early Learning Woodend – Dell Latitude 5420 14.0″ Laptop, Dell Pro Slim Backpack Lancefield Kindergarten – iPad and accessories Riddells Creek Kindergarten – TV, iPad and accessories Goodstart Early Learning Kyneton – Dell Latitude 5420 14.0″ Laptop, Dell Pro Slim Backpack Romsey Kindergarten – iPads and accessories Lady Brooks Kindergarten Kyneton – TV, iPad and accessories Macedon Kindergarten – TV, iPad and accessories Goodstart Early Learning Riddells – Creek Dell Latitude 5420 14.0″ Laptop, Dell Pro Slim Backpack Manna Gum Family and Childrens Centre – iPad and accessories Swinburne Avenue Childrens Centre – iPad and accessories Almost 570 kindergarten services operating a funded kindergarten program have received IT grants of up to $1,500 from the latest round of the Building Blocks Improvement Grants funding, sharing more than $796,000 in total for technology support.

These IT grants will help pay for new equipment such as computers, iPads and interactive TV aids that can be used for administration or to help deliver learning programs.

Building Blocks Grants is a streamlined overarching funding scheme that supports early childhood providers with new and existing infrastructure and facilities for eligible three and four-year-old kindergarten services. To find out more about Building Blocks Grants, visit: schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au/Pages/Building-Blocks.

In an Australian-first, the Government is investing almost $5 billion this decade to provide three- year-old children with access to an additional year of funded kindergarten programs.

From 2022, three-year-old children across the state will have access to at least five hours of kindergarten. Services will then scale up their hours to reach the full 15-hour program by 2029.

As part of the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten roll-out, the Victorian Budget 2021/22 has co-invested $1.68 billion with the early childhood sector to build and expand kindergarten facilities across the state over this decade.

Quote attributable to Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas
"It is vital that our early childhood services are equipped with modern technology to make sure that children in Macedon get a great start in life."

Quote attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt
"We’re delivering unprecedented investment in early childhood services so our children right across the state can get the most out of their great local kindergartens ─ giving them the best start to life".