By Parker McKenzie
A community panel will support Knox City Council as it considers the future of its kindergarten services in the local area, after councillors voted on a report offering three options at a meeting on Monday 27 February.
At the meeting, Cr David Pearce said the purpose of the report is for the council to approve the next phase of the kindergarten services review in an open and transparent manner.
“There are three options going up to the community: One, remaining a sessional kindergarten provider in a more sustainable service model, options two to remain a provider only with the two early years hubs, and option three exit the services altogether,” he said.
“The option of status quo as we are is not in this report and the reason for that is that we’ve had already begun the path of doing some rationalisation of service facilities that are underutilized dramatically.”
Cr Pearce said the Victorian Government is providing a subsidy of $2500 per child to service providers and there is no discretion on fees charged, so operators must try to run a financially viable service within those parameters.
The three options in the report would be a choice between reducing the number of sites where it offers kindergarten and increasing to 15 hours a week for all three and four-year-olds, providing sessional kindergarten only at the Knox Children and Family Centres in Bayswater and Wantirna South and no longer providing any sessional kindergarten services.
Cr Yvonne Allred said the introduction of two-year-old kindergarten funding was the largest reform of the early years sector.
“Council needs to consider the best way to support the state government’s changes whilst remaining sustainable and delivering the best value for our community,” she said.
“To do this we’re consulting with the community through what’s called the Community panel. I’m comfortable with the three options found in tonight’s report that will be considered and assessed by the community panel in coming months.”
An independent consultant recruited a “demographically representative community panel to provide input to Council.”
More information can be found at haveyoursay.knox.vic.gov.au/kindergarten-service-review
