ORANGE’s newest preschool in the CareWest Community Connection Centre was on show to Minister for Early Childhood Education and Aboriginal Affairs Leslie Williamson during a visit to Orange on Friday.
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The preschool, designed for families on a limited income, is located within the former Apex House building which has been renovated to include disability services, a theatre, cafe, allied health consulting rooms, hair salon and training rooms.
CareWest senior manager of child and family services Jenny Nalder said parents and carers using the preschool were being supported to enrol children utilising subsidies available to them.
“We have tried to make this as cheap as possible for parents who otherwise would not be able to send their children to a preschool, which will prepare them for their mainstream schooling,” Ms Nalder said.
She said parents being able to have access to affordable childcare four days a week allowed them to access learning and retraining services.
“We will be doing all we can to support parents and carers of the children,” she said.
Ms Nalder also said CareWest was encouraged by Orange TAFE campus showing interest in a childcare training partnership.
“Fifty per cent of our children enrolled are Aboriginal and as a temporary measure we have tried to get them in to other preschools until we take our first children next month,” she said.
“It is wonderful this project has received government funding and I look forward to it opening.”
The preschool will take three and four-year-olds on Mondays and Tuesdays and four to five-year-olds on Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning in May.
“This will provide 15 hours of preschool education for 40 weeks for 60 new children each year,” Ms Nalder said.
The new preschool includes a purpose-built playground, indoor activities areas, junior toilets and three sensory rooms.
The preschool has been built at a cost of more than $400,000 and will interconnect with a wide range of services on the campus, including therapists.
Overall the state government has contributed $1 million to the centre.
Member for Orange Andrew Gee said he was impressed with the work done by CareWest to set up the preschool.
“It is wonderful that Orange is going to get this new facility and it will also be a training facility for TAFE,” he said.
“CareWest is to be congratulated on the way it has revitalised Apex House and Anson Cottage.”
