More schools in Western Victoria will soon establish outside school hours care services, helping more parents and carers to get into the workforce while ensuring their children are cared for thanks to the Victorian Government.
Labor Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney today announced 14 schools in Western Victoria are among 145 school sites across the state to share in almost $10.7 million to establish a new outside school hours care service at their school from the beginning of 2022.
The schools include:
- Allansford and District Primary School
- Beeac Primary School
- Birregurra Primary School
- Bolwarra Primary School
- Camperdown College
- Cobden Primary School
- Cudgee Primary School
- Elliminyt Primary School
- Hawkesdale P12 College
- Heywood Consolidated School
- Mortlake P-12 College
- Noorat Primary School
- Nullawarre and District Primary School
- Skipton Primary School
These schools will receive up to $75,000 per year over the next three years for their outside school hours care services – helping to establish new services and cover the cost of resources or equipment, setup and administration, facility upgrades, small service viability and transport.
These grants will increase the number of schools providing outside school hours care by 5.8 per cent in Melbourne and 42.9 per cent in regional Victoria.
This is the second round of grants to be awarded under an $81.7 million investment in the Victorian Budget 2020/21, supporting the establishment of up to 400 new outside school hours care services at government schools.
The first round allocated $4.1 million in grants to 53 schools earlier this year, with another two rounds to follow in 2022 and 2023.
By creating more outside school hours care services, the Government is supporting more parents and carers to get back to work, study, training or as Victoria begins to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
Quote attributable to Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney
“We understand working parents need flexibility. This announcement will no doubt make life easier for many families in our local community.”
“This support will make an outside school hours facility viable for many schools in Western Victoria – and it will mean so much to busy working families across the state.”
“Those two hours after school finishes each day shouldn’t be a barrier for parents or carers getting back into work or study once their children are at school – we’re investing to ensure our kids are cared for when families need it.”