Council earmarks childcare hub

A $4 MILLION one-stop shop childcare facility modelled off a Noble Park project is destined for Springvale after the council this week voted to acquire a piece of land for the endeavour.
The proposed Springvale children’s services hub will incorporate a childcare centre with 60 places, a preschool, maternal and child health services, family day care and a toy library.
A City of Greater Dandenong council report states the new facility – which is likely to be built on the corner of Lightwood Road and Southdowne Avenue, Springvale – would be modelled on the recently opened Paddy O’Donoghue centre in Noble Park.
Councillors this week voted to acquire the land, which already contains the Springvale Preschool and Maternal and Child Health centre, both of which are in need of major maintenance overhauls.
The one centre is tipped to cost $4 million to build, but council will look to sell off current properties, including the Springvale Childcare Centre in St John’s Avenue, Springvale.
The current childcare centre is no longer financially viable, according to the report, and holds just 31 children.
New childcare laws as of June 2006 will force the centre to drop to just 22 places, and given the centre has a waiting list of 69 people, Greater Dandenong’s community services director Jane Dugina said the new centre was justified.
“The opportunity for integrating early childhood services would significantly improve community outcomes,” she said.
The project is slated to start in July, and the council will seek additional funding of about $1.25 million from the State Government – the same amount it was granted for the Paddy O’Donoghue centre.