The Hon. Wendy Lovell (Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development) visited the RCH today to announce further funding for the Education Institute Kindergarten program.

In a public address on Main Street, Minister Lovell (pictured below) announced a $44,145 state government contribution to the program—provision for a full-time kindergarten assistant to support early childhood teachers.

‘We want to make sure that those children who have in extended stays in hospital, or even repeat stays, don’t have an interruption to their education,’ Minister Lovell said.

Glenda Strong (Executive Director of the RCH Education Institute, pictured above) described the funding as ‘a great acknowledgement of the importance of early childhood education.’

‘We know that if the kindergarten program wasn’t here, these children would miss out on vital early learning experiences while they deal with their health issues, and the fact we can address that is fantastic,’ she said.

‘The announcement today means we can expand this program to reach more children who would otherwise miss this vital early learning experience.’

Following the announcement, Minister Lovell attended a kindergarten session on the Platypus ward (Surgical Care ward), as well as an individual student learning session.

About the program:
Minister Lovell announced the initial funding for the RCH Education Institute’s Kindergarten program in December 2012 alongside then-premier Ted Baillieu, with the program commencing in early 2013. Under the program, health professionals work with kindergarten teachers to develop individualised learning and development plans, which take into account the impact of a diagnosis on a child’s learning capabilities and needs.