Research shows that one in five Victorian children start school developmentally vulnerable and once behind, they tend to stay behind.
To that end, next year the State Government is providing kindergarten services in the Greater Shepparton region an additional $1,155,026 share in the School Readiness Fund.
School Readiness Funding is a permanent part of the kindergarten system that will be available to all Victorian funded kindergarten services to address educational disadvantage.
In announcing the additional funding, Member for Northern Victoria, Mark Gepp MP said’ “We know the impact that a quality early learning program can have on a child’s future, which is why the government is giving kindergarten services extra funding to support Victorian children.”
The funding can be used on programs that will improve children’s language development, social and emotional resilience and support access and inclusion in kindergarten. Kindergarten services will be able to tap into the expertise of speech and occupational therapists, language and literacy professionals and child psychologists.
The government is investing around $160 million across Victoria over the next four years to deliver School Readiness Funding in all funded kindergarten programs for three and four-year-old children in both long day-care and sessional kindergarten settings.
